Shades of Grey
by ShyIntrovert
Summary: When the Emperor summons Leia Vader to Coruscant, things happen. A Vader, Leia AU with glimpses of Mara and a dab or two of Luke. Part two of the Leia Vader series Concluded
1. Prologue

Shades of Grey

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Palpatine smiled gleefully. "I want you to bring your daughter to Coruscant" he told the kneeling black figure in front of him. It would do Vader good, he thought smugly, to know his daughter was within easy reach of his master.

"It will be done my master" Vader intoned, with the faintest hint of reluctance in his voice. Then his image flickered and went out.

On the Executor Vader drew himself up. _So_, he thought soberly, _the time has come_. He walked over to the viewport. "I will not let Palpatine own her", Vader promised the stars firmly.

They twinkled fiercely as if in answer.

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A/N: This fic is a sequel to "The angel's last gift" but it's not necessary to have read that to enjoy this. Please R&R, I live for feedback. 


	2. Chapter 1- Imperial Center again

Imperial Center Again

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Leia Vader was bored.

A full figured, life-sized hologram appeared in the middle of the room.

Leia sighed. She was tired of this game. "Senetor Larsden," Leia said "Married Elena Carlton, a minor noble. His last campaign was financed by Black Sun. To pay them back, he arranged for the release of some of their people".

"Good" Jayelle said. Another hologram came up.

"I'm tired" Leia said somewhat angrily. "We've been doing this all morning. Can't we stop?".

"This is important, Leia" Jayelle said "You have to know everything about everyone before we reach Imperial Center".

"Well" said Leia, getting up and stretching "I'll learn about them later."

Jayelle watched her walk off somewhat sadly. Leia had no idea how difficult it could be to interact with the Imperial Court. Maybe studying the people would make it easier.

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"Papa," Leia said, storming into Vader's office on the Executor "Do we _have to go to Coruscant?". Her memories of her last stay on the planet were disturbing. It had gotten so bad that every time she visited the planet with her father, she feared being kidnapped by Kenobi. The only good thing about Imperial Center was Mara._

Vader closed the file he had been reviewing on his data-pad, surprised. He had not realized that their imminent departure was worrying Leia. "Yes, we do" he said in a final tone of voice. "I thought you would be excited about it." He had been too busy planning to pay attention to how Leia felt, he realized. It was no easy thing planning to kill an Emperor. And although he had not told her yet, his daughter was an important part of those plans.

Leia sat down in the chair in front of Vader's desk.

Vader turned off his data-pad and waited, focusing on his daughter.

After a while Leia said pensively "It was quite awful last time".

"That was five years ago" Vader reassured her "and this time you'll have Jayelle, and I'll be on planet more often". Inwardly he winced. He knew that Leia would find Imperial Center even more disturbing this time. He looked at his daughter and felt a pang of guilt which he ruthlessly suppressed. He was doing this _for Leia, he reminded himself. Still, his sensitive child might be damaged if she helped with a murder. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. There was no other way. "Go see Jayelle," he told Leia "Help her pack". Anything to get her out of his sight for a while._

Leia smiled at the mention of her teacher. She had grown very fond of Jayelle in the five years she had taught her. "I've just come from her" Leia assured her father dryly. "We've been drilling on the inhabitants of Imperial Center."

"Good" said Vader. He returned to his data pads. He looked up again and said in the manner of one delivering a surprise "Teldyr is on Imperial Center"

Leia smiled, her black mood gone. Teldyr was the Chume'da of Hapes and she had met him last year when Hapes had been forced to sign a treaty giving the Empire control of their planets. The Executor had been there to _persuade the Queen Mother to relinquish authority. Leia shuddered. She really didn't like the way the Emperor did business._

Despite the awkwardness of being on opposite sides, she and Teldyr had managed to become friendly during the long dinners and parties that had taken place during the month the draft of the treaty was worked out. It had been a year since they had last met and Teldyr was on Imperial Center with his mother, finalizing the treaty. It _would be nice to see him again._

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Jayelle Palmer stood at the viewport in the living room she shared with the Vaders, looking out at the stars. She was going to miss them, she knew. Stars were never visible on Imperial Center, too much light. And if they were visible, they were never so bright. It would be nice to end this nomad-like existence, she told herself, trying to improve her mood. And it would be nice to talk to someone besides Lord Vader or Leia.

She snorted, knowing she wasn't convincing herself. During the month they had spent on Hapes she had been reminded of how much she hated official functions. As Leia's chaperone, she would have to accompany her to parties. And …if she accompanied Leia to parties, it was inevitable that she would see her father again.

It _would be nice to be on Coruscant again, but she feared the price would be too high. She had learned to love Leia fiercely. And now Leia had been summoned to Imperial Center, by none other than the Emperor himself. Jayelle knew the things that could be in store for her. An arranged marriage, a job which required her to be brutal, the possibilities were endless. She shivered, trying to reassure herself. Lord Vader would protect Leia._

As if summoned by her thoughts the Dark Lord appeared, his cloak trailing him like smoke. She watched him approach with the calm born of long acquaintance. Her lips twitched as she remembered a time, some years ago, when she had not been so blasé about his presence. Familiarity, she mused, _did seem to breed contempt. Of course, the bi-weekly chess games that they had could also have something to do with that. At first she had tried to minimize her contact with him, then she had realized that the he was the only adult companion around. And, she had reluctantly realized, he __did love his daughter. He reached the view-port silently as she turned back towards the stars._

Vader moved to stand beside Jayelle. Her blond hair gleamed in the starlight and her face was hidden in darkness. Her calm, patrician features seemed troubled. It was her unrest, almost equal to his own, which had called him here. He looked outside the viewport for a while then, as Jayelle turned to leave, he stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She turned to face him curiously, noting with humor that his hand looked enormous on her shoulder. His sheer physical power was enormous, but she was long past being frightened by Lord Vader. He was a brutal man, with the blood of thousands on his hands, and yet he had never been unkind to her.

"You are troubled" he said.

It was a question more than a statement and Jayelle nodded. She volunteered no information and waited, wondering whether he would ask further.

"About what?" he prodded, his voice carrying a hint of irritation. She was withholding information to annoy him, he thought, frustatedly. It was vexing and yet he was pleased that she did not fear him. It would not have been good for his daughter to be taught by a woman who lacked courage.

She offered him one word "Leia".

He required no elaboration. "Leia will be fine" he said, hoping that it was true.

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The shuttle doors opened and Jayelle experienced a flash of panic. _This is a bad idea, she thought frantically, wanting to run, but knowing there was no place to go. She had no precognitive powers but she __knew that this planet would be bad for her, and for Leia._

Leia walked regally off the shuttle, reminding herself that she was too old to run. She sniffed, frowning. Imperial Center was as _gray as she remembered. She felt her teacher's emotions peak and put her hand into Jayelle's, holding it firmly. Leia didn't know exactly what was wrong, but she could sense that Jayelle was upset._

Jayelle smiled at Leia's unspoken concern. Lord Vader and Leia might maintain that Leia had little force sense, but she unerringly knew how people were feeling. Thoughts of her charge calmed her and she put aside her worries for another day.

Castle Vader was decked with flowers and showed signs of a through cleaning. The major-domo came out to welcome them and bowed "Welcome, Lady Vader" he said, addressing Leia. He turned to Jayelle and nodded "And you, Ma'am. Lord Vader has been detained at the Palace" he said apologetically.

The efficient servants whisked them to one of the sitting rooms and served refreshments.

Leia was struck by the sense of homecoming she felt. True she had never been here for long visits, but this heap of stone was the only place she always came back to. Other residences were lovely, like the one on Hapes, but they were always only temporary.

The comm-screen buzzed and Leia turned it on to see her father. "Father" she said joyously. "It's nice to see you, but I had hoped that you would be here".

"Unavoidable business" Vader said laconically, glad that she couldn't tell what it was he was working on. He knew she would worry if she knew that he was looking for ways to neutralize the Imperial Guard.

"Hello, Lord Vader" Jayelle said, coming into range of the vid pickup. "Lady Palmer" Vader said inclining his body in a motion that was not quite a bow. "Leia's Presentation has been scheduled for tonight".

"So early" Jayelle said incredulously. "But she hasn't anything to wear".

"The Emperor's staff will send over a dress" Vader said. "I depend on you to see that she is properly attired".

A/N: I'd like to thank Teekoness and Bladeraider for reviewing the last chapter. This chapter is kind of slow, the next ought to be better.


	3. Chapter 2- A Party on Coruscant

A Party on Coruscant

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Vader found it necessary to go through a long unused Jedi calming ritual as Leia stepped on to the red carpet to be presented to The Emperor. Jayelle had done too good a job at preparing Leia. She was dressed in the gown the Emperor had sent. It was a dark red velvet, a shade darker than the color used by the Imperial Guard. It was a little more revealing than Vader liked, exposing her arms and a large part of her back Her hair had been done in braids coiled on her head, kept in place by glittering diamond studded gold pins. Her pale, aristocratic face was free of paint, the only thing which distinguished her from the older women in the room. A translucent red cloak fluttered behind her, swirling as she moved, held in frnot by a gold brooch. She looked disturbingly grown-up. A wide band of gold held a large diamond suspended in the hollow beneath her neck, and a translucent chain suspended a diamond tear a bit below it. Her jewelry only added to the impression of adult competence.

Vader frowned, hidden by the mask; the multiple messages the Emperor had sent with Leia's clothing were not to his liking. The Emperor, not the most subtle of men, was declaring that he expected Leia's loyalty by making her wear red. The dress also showed that he considered her grown, and that he would expect her to assume duties meant for adults. 

Vader stifled an impulse to send a wave of reassurance to his daughter through the Force; at this range the Emperor would surely sense it. The girl looked composed enough, but Vader knew her well enough to tell she was nervous. She seemed to have inherited her mother's habit of masking her emotions and all casual by-standers were surely impressed by her serenity. 

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Leia walked towards the dais slowly, looking straight at the foot of the Emperor's throne. The glittering crowds on both sides of the carpet tempted her gaze away but she resolutely kept her eyes forward, facing her goal. Jayelle was somewhere in the crowd and it took a great deal of effort not to look for her, but it had been Jayelle who had stressed that Leia was not to look into the assembly. "_It would imply that you cared more for the crowd than the Emperor" Jayelle had said "__And he might take offence". Her father was a reassuring presence on the dais, standing behind and to the left of the Emperor, but she had to be careful not to look at him either. If any of the courtiers saw, they might mistake it as a sign of weakness._

 She forced herself to walk with measured tread, neither hurrying nor dawdling. The silk of her gown rustled as she moved and the tight diamond and gold choker she wore irritated her neck. She felt exposed, pinned in place by the lights and multitudes of glittering, beautiful people. These people were staring at her and she could sense their breathless hope that she should make some ghastly mistake. They saw her only as a tool to influence her father. Vultures, she thought distastefully. Jayelle had gone through the dossiers of all of the important members of Coruscanti society with her and Leia knew more about these people than their own mothers.

_I'll never be anonymous again, she thought direly as she heard the hum of the holo-cams. She was a public figure now, and the bodyguards she had been assigned that morning were clearly not for decoration. She stifled her rising panic, forcing herself to take deep breaths. __Calm, calm she chanted mentally. Now was not the time to think of implications. It was far too late now__. If I wanted to run away, Leia thought darkly, __I should have done it before this. Who would she have run to, though? And why? She was quite happy with her life, it was just the Imperial Court which made her queasy. _

With a start, Leia realized that she had reached the foot of the dais. She gathered her dignity around her like a cloak and curtsied, keeping her back straight and pasting a smile on her face. From her curtsey she glanced up, catching a glimpse of the Emperor's face at last. Hooded yellow eyes stared back at her and she felt an instinctive dislike, which she quickly buried.

"Please rise, Lady Vader" The Emperor said after a long pause, waving a languid, wrinkled hand. Leia stood with a feeling of relief. Anymore time in position and she was sure she'd have fallen over. She walked up the steps at the Emperor's beckoning gesture and stood where he motioned, in front of her father. His presence at her back was steadying, calming the shiver she felt at being the focus of so many faces. She swallowed, trying to ease her tight throat. She wasn't used to being exposed to such large gatherings, and she was discovering that she did not like being the focus of attention.

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Jayelle smiled, appreciating the way Leia's coloring and dress contrasted with Vader's. She looked dainty in front of his bulk and his black armor made her look paler than ever. The red of her clothing looked vivid against black. The choker she wore emphasized Leia's long, slender neck and she looked very regal with her hair done up. _Her mother must have been a lovely woman, Jayelle thought, not for the first time, feeling a surge of curiosity about the woman who had been Vader's wife._

Leia looked too beautiful for her own good, Jayelle concluded as she turned away to move towards the refreshment table. This was Coruscant after all, and Jayelle had firsthand knowledge of how dangerous it could be. _A pool full of piranhas Jayelle thought distastefully as she reached the table and poured herself a drink._

_And speaking of piranhas… Jayelle saw the elderly man she'd been keeping an eye on from the moment she entered the room making his way towards her. His face had acquired some wrinkles from when she'd seen him last, despite his plastic surgeons, and he had allowed his dark hair to gain some tasteful streaks of white. His blond, empty-headed, bubbly second wife Anita was with him. She walked towards the couple__. Better to get it over with quickly, she thought, resigned._

"Jayelle!" he said delightedly.

"Hello, sir" Jayelle said, her voice deliberately cold and uninflected.

"No warmer greeting for your father?" he asked jovially. 

"Your daughter died nine years ago, Sir" she coldly informed General Palmer, her mind flashing painfully back to the day she had been disowned. "You should remember, you killed her yourself". Despite herself, her voice shook slightly as she finished.

"Let's let bygones be bygones, Jay" Her father said heartily. "We've missed you. And despite your disobedience, I _do love you"._

_He sounds almost sincere, Jayelle thought cynically, __and listening to him, one would have thought that he had a right to order me to marry Tarkin. She had expected him to approach her. Her name on the guest list had listed her as a member of Vader's personal staff. The Dark Lord's patronage would be invaluable to her father and half-brother's careers._

Anita seemed conscious of this fact for she chimed in "It would be good to see you later, Jayelle. You _are the only daughter I have."_

Jayelle barely suppressed a snort of disgust. "Later, perhaps, Anita" she said coolly as she turned away. 

She walked over to the refreshment tables and selected a drink. Then, she spotted someone else she didn't want to talk to walking purposefully towards her. Tarkin. She suppressed a groan. This was not going to be pretty.

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Hidden in the crowd, Mara Jade watched her friend curtsey to the young man the Emperor had summoned. Mara moved closer, trying to get a better look. _Leia looks like a princess…  Mara thought with an uncharacteristic hint of sentiment. But who was the man with her?_

As she drew closer, recognition dawned. Teldyr of Hapes. Mara grimaced. What was Leia doing with him? He was nothing but trouble. The Emperor disapproved of this Prince's attitude, she knew. Well, she decided, she'd have to warn Leia about him later. 

Leia and Teldyr began moving into the crowd and Mara backed away from them, hoping Leia wouldn't see her. She was under cover here, and it would be hard to explain how Vader's daughter knew a humble servant. She regretted not being able to greet Leia, but it couldn't be helped.

She would see Leia later, she comforted herself. They had set a time for the next day. It had been a while since she had relaxed and she had really missed her only friend.

It would be good to have her on planet.

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Leia allowed Teldyr to escort her to a sofa in a corner and collapsed gracefully into it.

"That was fun" she said sarcastically, looking at her friend. He hadn't changed, physically. Same solemn face, same black hair, same dreamy blue-gray eyes. Looking at his face, one might have said he was too handsome to have problems of any kind. Behind that face however, was a person Leia had come to care for.  There was a sense of anger around the young man and Leia knew that he resented bitterly being forced to relinquish control of Hapes. "Sit down," she said, patting the sofa next to her "and tell me how you've been".

Teldyr smiled, drawn out of his thoughts. "I've been better" he said with a smile, not elaborating. He found it strange to confide in the daughter of the Emperor's second-in-command, but knew instinctively that Leia was as trustworthy as she had been a year ago. Than she'd surprised him by being surprisingly open to the idea that the Empire was mismanaged.  

"I can imagine" Leia responded, sympathizing with his sense of loss. Hapes was truly a beautiful planet and the Emperor seemed to _enjoy smashing pretty things._

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In a corner of the room, a nondescript man listened to Lady Vader talk to the Prince of Hapes. He smiled, triumphant. It seemed that the bug they had planted in the girl's braid had worked. 

The hairdresser had certainly been paid enough, he thought. The conversation could be heard clearly, although neither of them had said anything more than faintly treasonous yet. The boy, though, was clearly anti-empire. He would have to be dealt with. The man made a notation on his pad. The girl hadn't said enough to make a case against her.

Ah, well…, the bug wouldn't be removed until it was detected, and even Vader, paranoid though he was, could hardly consider his _daughter a threat._

He turned away from his thoughts and paid attention to their conversation.

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A/N: I'd like to thank Chris Skywalker, Renee, Blue Moon, ^_^, Teekoness and Qurinas for reviewing the last chapter.

Renee: This time I'm not really offering more than a glimpse or two of Luke. I can't think of a plausible way to work him into the story. I'm open to suggestions, though J


	4. Chapter 3- After the party

The Party (continued) and afterwards

"This place feels so strange" Leia confided with a sigh.

"You'll get used to it" Teldyr said, reassuringly, hoping she wouldn't.

"But what if I become as fake as everyone here?" Leia asked the question that had been plaguing her since she had been briefed on Coruscant's inhabitants. Many of them had been started out with good intentions, and had been corrupted.

"That won't happen" Teldyr said firmly. He looked at her and explained "You never behave the way I expect you to, Leia", Teldyr said earnestly "You're not quite what I expected to find in Lord Vader's daughter".

Leia smiled. "How so, Your highness?" she asked playfully. "Am I not lady-like enough, graceful enough, beautiful enough, to be the daughter of my Father?"  

"_Don't call me that" Teldyr snapped in mock irritation, happy that the conversation had become lighter. "And, to answer your question, you are not serious enough"._

"_Girls" Leia said with a superior smile "are not expected to be serious"._

Teldyr laughed, teased out of his black mood. "Tonight," he said seriously "you look dangerously like a woman". It was amazing, he reflected, to see how the girl he remembered had changed. The planes of her face had sharpened, but had not yet lost the slight softness of childhood, and her brown eyes were no longer so trusting or innocent. 

"Oh, the dress" Leia said, with a sigh. "I hate it. The Emperor had it sent to me".

"Leia" Teldyr said, his voice low and serious "it's dangerous to criticize the Emperor's taste".

"Than _why do you do it, Teldyr?" she asked exasperated. "Your recent statements to the press border dangerously on treason"._

"I'll be careful, if you'll be careful" he said with a smile, inordinately pleased to learn that Leia had bothered to keep tabs on him.

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Released from his post by the wave of the Emperor's gnarled hand, Vader found himself free to circulate. He moved through the room, going the opposite direction as Leia and the Prince. It would not do too seem too concerned about her. The crowd parted before him as he went to greet an acquaintance of his.

Vader talked briefly with some military men he knew, keeping one eye out for Leia and Teldyr all the time. The boy _seemed well enough, but he couldn't bring himself to relinquish Leia entirely to his care. Meanwhile, though, he had a job to do. It would be important to be popular among the military in the event of Palpatine's __untimely demise.  He could sense his companion's curiosity about Leia but none of the men dared to comment. Finally, one of the braver Admirals, Narvolk, said, "Your daughter is quite lovely. Congratulations."  _

"You are some 14 years late, Admiral" Vader rumbled, and, with a nod, walked away. He left a very confused group of men behind. As he moved away he heard one of them exclaim, "Was that a joke?" 

Vader moved aimlessly through the room for a while. He never felt quite at home at these gatherings, with minor nobles trying to curry favor, and important nobles playing power games.  He should be cultivating courtiers, he knew, but couldn't quite bring himself to play the petty power games he so despised As he strode through the room, trying to look like he had a purpose, he caught sight of a familiar blond head. He extended his senses, confirming her identity. It was definitely Jayelle. And the person she was conversing with seemed to be causing her distress. Prompted by some concern, as well as need of a distraction, Vader quickened his stride and moved towards his daughter's governess.

She was dressed in white, he noticed as he drew closer. _Very symbolic, he thought ironically. She had on some simple gold jewelry and her pale skin was flushed. She looked lovely; her blond hair was done up and she had let as few curls dangle near her face. She looked, he thought, not much older than his daughter, and almost as innocent. Her innocence, though, was that of a person who has experienced temptation and rejected it, rather than Leia's lack of knowledge._

As he got closer to her he saw her companion. Tarkin. It was common knowledge that Jayelle had rejected Tarkin and been disinherited for it. Maybe that was why she was uncomfortable.

Vader shifted his approach so that he was behind Tarkin. Tarkin was holding Jayelle's wrist and talking to her intently. He was close enough to hear the conversation now 

"If you had married me, pretty girl, you wouldn't have to _work for Vader" Tarkin said, sneering at Jayelle. Jayelle struggled, trying to pull away from Tarkin without causing a scene. Her eyes widened with relief as she saw Vader looming behind Tarkin, dwarfing him. She felt a flash of savage satisfaction as Vader's hands gripped Tarkin's shoulders in a manner that was undoubtedly painful. He flinched and dropped her hand. Vader used his grip on Tarkin to swing him around._

"If I ever catch you harassing a member of my staff again, Tarkin…" he threatened darkly, his voice ominous. The aura of raw menace radiating from Vader was frightening and Governor Tarkin bowed and walked off, too shaken to try to save face.

Jayelle forced herself to breathe normally. Vader in a rage was not a calming sight. It was barely relevant that his anger wasn't directed at her. Vader turned towards her, and seeming to regain his composure, offered her his arm. "Shall we check up on Leia?" he asked, offering her his arm, not sure why he had lost his temper to such an extreme degree. .

"Please" said Jayelle, hoping to avoid discussion of the scene he had interrupted. She put her hand on Vader's arm and allowed him to steer her towards Leia.

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The loud ringing noise was becoming irritating. Leia turned sleepily around and hit the snooze button on the alarm clock. The alarm had rung before, Leia sleepily recalled. In fact the alarm had rung several times, but Leia was too sleepy to count them. She yawned and stretched. The gathering last night had gone on really late and she had been introduced to a large number of people. She hadn't met everyone in the room, but Teldyr had introduced her to a large number of people.

Leia had recognized most of them from the holographs which accompanied the dossiers she had memorized. It was going to be difficult, she reflected, to remember which people she'd met and which she knew because of the dossiers. 

The alarm rang again and with a muffled groan, Leia turned the alarm off and rolled out of bed. She washed her face and got dressed, wearing sensible pants and a shirt with a hint of lace around the neck and sleeves. She sat down at the dressing table to brush her hair and looked at her room in the mirror. She hadn't been here for some months and last night she'd been too tired to do anything but drop into her bed and sleep. She frowned. The room was too little-girly, she decided, with it's small bed and pink sheets. She'd have to change the furniture, get rid of the child sized dressing table and get a plant or two for decoration, she decided. Maybe she could take Mara shopping with her, she thought.

Reminded that her friend would be visiting in an hour or so, Leia left her room to go get some breakfast.

She found Jayelle in the dining room, looking sleepy and watching the news. Attracted by the sharp sound of Leia's footsteps, Jayelle looked up at her and smiled. "You slept in too, huh?" she asked in a voice which husky and slightly tired.

Leia nodded. 

"How did you enjoy the party?" Jayelle asked.

"It was very" Leia stopped and searched for a positive word "…glittery". She put her cereal bowl on the table with more force than necessary. 

"I didn't like it, either" Jayelle confided with a smile. She was silent for a moment before she pointed to the holo-cast "Isn't that Prince Teldyr?"

Leia looked at the image of her friend. He was saying passionately "The Empire takes over planets, destroys them and leaves a mess which takes generations to sort out". The Holo-cast was cut off abruptly.

"Censored" Jayelle said.

Leia sighed. "I wish he'd be more careful. It isn't safe to say things like that".  

"Is he usually reckless, Leia?" Jayelle asked, with some concern.

"He's taking losing Hapes very badly" Leia confided with a sigh.

Jayelle smiled somewhat sadly "He'll get over it".

"I hope so" Leia said.

"So" said Jayelle over-cheerfully "What are your plans for the day?"

"Well…" said Leia "Mara will be visiting". 

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Mara walked into Castle Vader somewhat apprehensively. It was her first time in her friend's house. Always, before, Leia had visited her. Now, though, as a full agent of the Emperor, she had a little more freedom to go outside the palace. Her mood darkened, remembering the price she had to pay for her greater freedom. Mara knew that what she did was right; after all, the Emperor did have in mind the larger picture. And it was a privilege to be allowed to keep the Empire strong. 

Mara's thoughts were interrupted by a security officer. "Miss Jade?" he asked. When she nodded he said "Allow me to escort you to Lady Vader".

Leia turned from the window when Mara came in. She dismissed the security officer with a regal nod and a "Thank you, that will be all Lieutenant". She stood silent while the door closed and then, walking over to her friend, she hugged her. "Oh, Mara, it's been so long". Mara stood motionless for a minuet and then hugged Leia back. "Yes it has" she said, touched by her friends demonstrativeness.

Leia was the only person who had ever hugged her, Mara reflected somewhat somberly. The only person who had ever shown her affection. Oh, she knew the Emperor cared for her, he had made her his Hand after all, but he had never indicated in any way that she was special to him. Mara shook off the treasonous thought, feeling faintly guilty.

"So" said Leia brightly "What have you been up to?"

"I've been busy" Mara said matter of factly. "I have had several missions over the past few months".

"What kind of missions?" Leia asked, curious. She remembered Mara's first mission, in which she'd had to kill someone. Mara had cried afterwards. Leia remembered. 

"Classified" said Mara shortly. "Look, Leia, can we talk about you?" Mara asked, feeling uncomfortable. She couldn't tell Leia about the things she did, Mara realized. If she did, she'd lose her only friend. 

"There's not much to tell" Leia said, feeling slightly hurt that Mara wouldn't talk to her.

"Well" asked Mara "How do you know Prince Teldyr?"

Leia was puzzled by the tone of the question. "Well, I met him during the Hapes mess" she said cautiously.

"What do you mean, mess!" Mara asked hotly.

"I didn't like the way we threatened a defenseless world, that's all" Leia said. In fact, she reflected, she had been so upset that it had taken her a while to forgive her father, even though she knew he was acting under orders.

"Are you saying the Emperor was wrong?" Mara asked angrily.

Oops, Leia thought. Her Father had told her to never criticize the Emperor in front of Jade. "That's not what I'm saying Mara" she said placatingly, her heart aching at the distance that had grown between her and her best friend. "I'm just saying that maybe his advisors could have found a better way."

Mara nodded, not looking very convinced.

"Shall we go see the gardens?" Leia asked, trying to change the topic.

Mara nodded.

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Well, thought the nameless man in the bowels of Coruscant, that conversation was certainly interesting. Lady Vader hadn't said anything treasonous, but she had expressed disapproval of the Empire's actions.

But…, her sentiments could simply be those of a delicately nurtured girl who disapproved of violence.

At least he could assure the Emperor that his Hand was loyal.

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"I was thinking of redesigning my room" Leia told Mara. "Would you like to go shopping with me?"

"Not today", Mara said, genuinely regretful. She had never "gone shopping" the way most girls of her age did. "I have a mission to prepare for."

"Tomorrow, then" Leia said, happy that Mara still seemed to want to spend time with her.

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Leia was woken next morning by someone gently shaking her. She yawned and turned to lie on her back looking at Jayelle sleepily. Then she heard the steady sound of her father's respirator. She sat up to see him standing at the foot of the bed.

"What's wrong?" Leia asked with an instinctive sense of dread. 

Jayelle and Vader looked at each other. Despite the long discussion of how to handle this, neither of them was willing to speak. 

Jayelle glared at Vader. He was Leia's father, he ought to tell her   

He stood there, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

"Tell me…" Leia said, her voice shaking. Whatever it was, it was very bad. She could sense her father and Jayelle's concern very strongly.

Jayelle leaned towards her and hugged her. "Leia," she said , her voice gentle, "Teldyr was in an accident. He's dying".

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On Tatooine, a blond young man dropped his model tie fighter, hit by a sudden, unexplainable feeling of anguish.

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A/N: As promised, there's Luke. Who wants me to kill Teldyr? J

I'd like to thank Teekoness for reviewing the last chapter 

Next chapter: Vader corrupts his daughter and Leia faces a moral dilemma.  


	5. Chapter 4- A choice and a Confrontation

A Confrontation and a Choice

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 "How?", Leia asked numbly. This was an awful trick her Father and Jayelle were playing on her, she was dreaming, or hallucinating, she'd wake up in a while and laugh…. He couldn't be dying, not Teldyr, not her only friend besides Mara. He had so much life ahead of him, so much potential to live up to, so many things to achieve. Leia's breath started coming faster. "It's not true…" she muttered, tears beginning to moisten her cheeks. Through her haze she heard Jayelle say "It seems he was in an auto-car accident".

"No" Leia said "no". she began to punch the headboard of the bed, desperate to feel anything, anything at all, just to distract herself. She felt herself grabbed somewhat awkwardly and then she was turned around by strong arms and held in a gentle embrace. Her blows now fell on her father's body armor, and, afraid of hurting him, Leia stopped her mindless hitting. Her father ran a gloved hand gently through her hair and let her go, surrendering her to Jayelle who held her close. After a while Leia pulled away. She sat silent and looked at her hands. They were bloody, she noted dispassionately. 

Her voice dead, she asked "How did it happen? People don't just _have auto-car accidents"_

"Apparently" said Jayelle, her voice studiedly matter of fact "The driver was drunk and carelessly collided with another vehicle".

"And the other vehicle?" Leia asked, beginning to have an idea of who had tried to kill Teldyr.

"Has disappeared" Jayelle said.

 "When did this happen?" Leia asked fighting off an awful thought. _Mara had a mission last night._

"Late last night" Jayelle answered. Then puzzled she asked "Why?"

"Just curious" Leia said, not sure what to do about her suspicions. "Well" said Leia, trying to behave normally "can I get an update on his status?"

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Mara walked in to Castle Vader more confidently this time. Once she reached the entrance to the house she was stopped by the doorman.

"Lady Vader is expecting me" Mara assured the doorman with an air of studied hauteur.

"I'll have to ask" The doorman said, as he pressed a button on his comm-link.

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Uh-oh, Leia thought. She hadn't decided how to deal with Mara. _You knew she was a killer, Leia reminded herself. But, somehow, it didn't matter so much as long as Mara didn't hurt anyone Leia cared about. _

What kind of person does that make me?, Leia wondered, if I don't care if my best friend kills people. In a more rational part of her mind, Leia knew that Mara had no real choice. _But please, she pleaded with an invisible God__, please don't let her have tried to kill Teldyr._

Teldyr was still hovering between life and death. Leia snarled. It was so frustrating to not be able to even visit him. Her father wouldn't let her though, and Jayelle backed him up, saying that the gossip would be damaging.

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"My God" Mara exclaimed involuntarily as she entered Leia's bedroom and took in her tearstained face and mussed sleeping suit. "What happened to you?"

"Teldyr of Hapes" Leia said in a flat voice " is my friend. And he may be dying". She observed her friend carefully through lowered lashes, trying to determine her reaction to the news.

Mara stood still for a moment and then silently moved to hug her friend. "I'm so sorry" Mara said regretfully. After holding Leia a while, Mara murmured "You shouldn't be friendly with him you know. He did criticize the Empire".

Leia tensed. "Did you know about the accident?" she asked, pulling back and looking into Mara's green eyes, trying to convey her message with the pressure of her hands.

Mara looked back at Leia steadily, caught by the power of her steely orbs. Despite herself she shivered slightly, and then controlled herself. Leia was her friend and deserved honesty, she thought. And besides, if Leia knew the truth, she might not grieve over that miserable traitor. So Mara looked back at Leia and said "I'd _heard of the accident, yes". _

Leia relaxed in Mara's grip. The emphasis on the word "heard" was too marked to be mistaken. So Mara hadn't tried to kill Teldyr. Mara hadn't but the Emperor had, Leia thought, beginning to feel a deep anger towards the Emperor.

"The prince may not survive" Mara continued in a cool voice. "He has that one in a million allergic reaction to Bacta."

Leia recoiled and looked at her friend. _How far we have grown_, she lamented.

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Vader paced the length of his office nervously. It was strange, he thought, to be anxious about what his daughter would choose. Before, he had always guided her choices, always helped her make her decisions. This choice, however, was different. It would mark her forever and in his heart, Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith knew that this was one choice he would not take from his child. _Leia will decide, he affirmed mentally__, and she will choose not only for herself but for the galaxy. It was a pleasant thought and Vader smiled behind his mask._

There was a hesitant knock on the door. Leia walked in a little timidly, looking somewhat out of place in the dark office. Her father had never made a formal appointment with her before, and she wondered at the formality. "Hello" she said with a fond smile.

"Leia" he said and gestured for her towards him. Vader took a large black paddle that lay on the bed and waved it through the air near Leia. Leia looked at the paddle curiously "What…" she asked, only to be hushed by Vader's gloved finger on her lips. He walked to one end of the office and lowered a black screen, then motioned for her to stand in front of it. She walked towards it and stood. Her father strode back to his desk and pressed a button. A sheet of light ran over Leia and a spot near her head glowed red on the screen.

"_You have picked up a bug" her father told her mentally._

Leia recoiled. She had never suspected that someone was listening to her. There was something nauseating about the thought that someone had been listening to her every minute for god only knew how long.

Vader stepped close and grasped her shoulder, shaking her a little. "_Calm" he instructed firmly._

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Good" her father said mentally. He looked very large and imposing and Leia felt reassured just looking at him. "_Plead illness and tell me you're going to rest. I'll follow and rid you of this bug". _

"I feel kind of sick, Papa" Leia said in a trembling voice she did not have to fake. "Can we talk later?"

"Certainly" said Vader politely.

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It hadn't been that difficult to get rid of the bug, Leia reflected later, walking in the garden with her father. And they had put it in a box where it could not transmit from. Her unknown observers thought her asleep, and she would have to be careful to act like she'd just woken up when they got it out. "Do we have to keep the bug around Papa?" she asked plaintively.

"As long as we keep it, there is no danger of another, less detectable one" Vader replied slowly. He wished there was another way of ensuring Leia's privacy.

Leia shuddered. "I don't like it" she said somewhat petulantly.

"Neither do I" Vader said sincerely.

"So" Leia said, clearly trying to change the topic "what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well" said Vader, wondering how to broach the topic "let's sit down" 

 

They sat in the green grass, The Dark Lord and the young girl. Anyone who saw them would have thought them an odd pair, one big and dark and the other small and pale. Vader pulled Leia over, holding her gently. Leia smiled and relaxed. Her father was almost never physically demonstrative and while she knew he loved her, it was nice to have reassurance. 

"Have you ever wondered," Vader began hesitantly "why you are almost Force-blind?"

"Just the luck of the draw I guess" Leia said with a shrug. She tried not to care but sometimes she wondered if her father wished she had been Force strong.

"Kenobi placed a Force-block on you" her father said in a voice that carried suppressed hatred. 

Leia stiffened, shocked.

"It has to be removed by the time you're fourteen or it will become permanent" her father continued.

That miserable Jedi, Leia thought angrily. It's not enough for him to tear up my family, nooo, he has to destroy my potential as well. She took a moment to work through her anger and then asked "Why haven't you removed it?"

"The Emperor" Her father said heavily. "He thinks of you as a threat without any powers, he might have killed you if you had been Force strong" Vader was silent a moment than continued "either that or he would have taken you from me and made you like Mara Jade".

Leia gasped, shocked at the possibility. "So why tell me now?" she asked angrily as the implications of Vader's statements sank in. It was awful, to know that something she had longed for so desperately was part of her birthright, and that she could never have it.  "Why are you telling me that there is a part of myself which I will never have?"

"Because" Vader said impassively "you can have it".

Leia's world turned upside down, for the second time in two days. She managed one shaky word through her feelings of imbalance. "How?"

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A/N:  Well? What do you think Leia should do?

I've been experimenting with the next few chapters and I can guarantee that Luke _will be in this fic in a few chapters, afterall._

I'd like to thank Teekoness, Renee, Prince Luke Skywalker, BladeRaider and Padawan JanAQ for reviewing the last chapter

Teekoness: I'm dipping my toes in the water, checking the temperature, so to speak. I've never written a romance before, I'm not sure I know how. The idea is attractive, but isn't it a bit cliched? Anyway, I can't seem to make up my mind.


	6. Chapter 5- The Emperor is dead, Long liv...

The Emperor is dead, long live the Emperor

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Leia got into bed and unboxed the bug. She found that she did feel ill, afterall. _Kill the Emperor. She shivered. It was a truly seductive thought. All her problems seemed to originate from him. If he was dead, than no one would spy on her, there would be no fear of Teldyr dying 'due to complications' while in the hospital, Mara would be free and, and, she could have the force strength that was her birthright. Her birthright. The one thing she could have which came from her father. In everything else, he told her, she resembled her mother._

But do I want these things enough to help my father kill?, Leia asked herself. It would forever change her view of the world, she knew, to watch her father kill. It would forever change _her to kill._

Can I live with myself if I do?, Leia wondered, And can I live with the consequences if I don't?

There was only one person in the world who could help her and Leia got up, resolving to seek her advice.

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Jayelle sat at her dressing table, brushing her hair. Dinner had been a quiet meal, she reflected. Lord Vader hadn't said much, but then he wasn't in the habit of talking. Jayelle sometimes wondered why he joined them for dinner, when he wouldn't talk and couldn't eat. He generally just sat quietly at the head of the table and listened to them talk. She had been intimidated by this habit, when she first began to tutor Leia.

It was Leia's behavior which had been out of character. She had been wan and quiet and while much of it could be concern about Teldyr, Jayelle was sure that wasn't the only thing bothering her darling. She had developed something of a sixth sense where Leia was concerned and it told her something was deeply wrong. Maybe…, Jayelle thought, …maybe this unease was something which told a mother that her child was in danger. Heavens knew, Leia was the closest to a child of her own she would ever have. 

There was a knock on her door and Jayelle smiled. "Come in Leia" she called out.

"How did you know it was me?" Leia asked curiously.

"Because you're worried about something" Jayelle said with certainty. She moved to the bed and patted the spot beside her. "Come tell Jayelle all about it" 

Leia moved to sit beside Jayelle. She barely remembered her mother and deep down, she hoped she had been like Jayelle. 

"Jayelle" she asked quietly "If you could kill the Emperor, would you?"

Jayelle drew away from her and looked at her intently. "This isn't a theoretical question, is it?" she asked in an academic manner. 

"No" Leia confessed, looking away.

"Who is going to kill the Emperor?" Jayelle asked, fearing the answer.

"Papa asked for my help" Leia said softly. "I'm confused".

_I'll kill him, Jayelle promised herself fiercely, looking at the brown head turned away from her. She hugged Leia protectively. In many ways, she thought, Leia was still just a little girl. Too young, at any rate, for the burden Vader seemed to have imposed on her. "Why you?" she asked, in a voice which she forced to calmness._

"Because I can use the Force" Leia answered., and explained about the Force block.

"I see" Jayelle said, and at that moment she truly did. Vader would not have involved his daughter unless necessary. 

I was a rebel, and I thought the Emperor should be removed, she thought, I would kill him myself if I could, regardless of the consequences. But to let Leia kill him? It would damage her, change her, perhaps beyond recognition. But the benefits far outweighed the damage to Leia's soul, from any objective viewpoint. 

But I'm not exactly objective anymore, am I? Jayelle thought with a rueful smile. Than, deciding that she could make no decision, Jayelle said "I have no right to choose for you, Leia".   

Leia looked into Jayelle's eyes intently. "Would _you do it?" she asked._

Those steely brown eyes demanded honesty and so, reluctantly, Jayelle gave it. "Yes". "But that doesn't mean that you should. If you do this, you will never be the same".

"I know", Leia said heavily, nodding, "I know".

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In the end though, the choice was almost inevitable. Prompted into action by a secret report that Teldyr of Hapes wasn't receiving adequate medical treatment, Leia went to her father and told him she would help in any way necessary. 

It was strange, Vader reflected, but he was not as happy as he had thought he would be at getting his own way. He shook off the brief feeling of guilt, reminding himself that he had not manipulated Leia in any way. 

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Vader walked into the Emperor's audience chamber, feeling relieved. The Emperor had granted his request for a secret audience. No doubt, the seemingly chance remark he had made near Leia about discovering a vast conspiracy to kill the Emperor had helped. Nevertheless, Palpatine was clearly suspicious.

There were at least ten Imperial guards in the audience chamber. Vader moved toward the dais and knelt. "My master" he intoned.

Leia watched the scene through the surveillance holocams, from a small room in the Imperial palace, marking out the locations of the guards, and hoping the practice she had gotten on the small robotic action figures, with the trickle of the Force she could use was enough.

"Well, Lord Vader" The Emperor demanded querulously. "What was this important thing you had to show me?"

Vader stepped forward and handed the Emperor a data-pad, containing the names of the people involved in the supposed conspiracy. Palpatine almost snatched the card from Vader's hand. _Now. Vader tensed. So much could go wrong at just this moment._

Hoping he would have enough time, Vader reached for Leia through the Force, located the Force-Block and destroyed it.

Leia gasped. The pain was like nothing she had ever felt before. Jayelle moved to hold her from behind and Leia relaxed into her arms, practicing pain control techniques and hoping she would have enough time to recover.

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On Tattoine, Obi-Wan Kenobi woke up and rolled out of bed. His handiwork had been destroyed. So, he thought as he rushed to his flitter, Vader had found the Force-Block. The girl was now truly lost. As he started up the ancient flitter's engine, he resolved that he would make sure the boy was out of Vader's reach.

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Surprised by the bright new Force presence, the Emperor gasped. He looked toward Vader, who had drawn his lightsaber. Lightning flashed toward Vader and the guards began rushing toward him.

_Now. Leia thought, ignoring the mind numbing pain she felt. Her father was in danger. Leia felt a deep rage, that anyone should dare to threaten her father. Drawing on her anger, she reached out through the blinding pain and began to strangle a guard. _

It was different from hurting a robotic toy, Leia realized, wondering why she was surprised. His death agony filled her mind and through her tears she reached out for another one. And another. And another. There were too many, she thought, beginning to panic. And it hurt too much. _These are real men, she thought, anguished. The screen was fuzzy through her tears and she looked at her father. He had repelled the Force lightning and reached Palpatine through the strong winds that pushed him away. Maybe she wouldn't have to hurt anyone else, Leia thought with relief. A guard closed on Vader. "__Leia" he called_

Her father was in danger, she thought again, beginning to panic. Ignoring her blinding headache and moral qualms, Leia swatted the guard away like a fly. He landed at the opposite end of the room.

Then, it was over. The Emperor's bloody body toppled from the throne.

Moving fast, Vader planted a thermal detonator in the room and exited quickly through a passage in the walls.

Leia turned to Jayelle and began to weep as she had never wept in her troubled life.

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A/N: Ding dong the wicked Emperor is dead. 

Next chapter—Leia copes with her new Force abilities, Visits her still unconscious friend (Teldyr) and asks her father a very important question: "Who _is Luke Skywalker?"_

I'd like to thank BlueMoon, Renee, JaniaSkywalker, Teekoness, Amy Lee, Quamzin Kravshera, Ani's Angel and AngelQueen for reviewing the last chapter.

Quamzin: Sorry, but Leia would have to be an angel or a saint to pass up a chance to get rid of Palpatine, and she's not, at least in this universe. Maybe the Leia raised by Bail Organa wouldn't have done it.    


	7. Chapter 6- Introducing Luke Skywalker

Introducing---Luke Skywalker

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Jayelle stood at a window, looking out at Coruscant. The city lights glowed placidly in complete contrast to the people. Mobs were out on the streets, according to news agencies and two Imperial Moffs Selden and Tarkin had tried to break away from the Empire. Jayelle drew away from the window and looked around the small room, feeling shut in.

Vader's first act as Emperor had been to shut her and Leia away into a small two room suite in a corner of the Imperial Palace. She knew for a fact that the door to the suite was surrounded by scores of guards. She heard a light snore come from Leia's room and peeked in. A red head rested next to a brown one, and both of the girls had cried themselves to sleep in each others arms.

 It was strange, she reflected, but Vader seemed to have known exactly what to do for his distraught daughter, even at a distance. About an hour into their seclusion, a guard had brought Mara to them, with the news that Miss Jade had been attached to Lady…,_Princess Vader's security._

The poor girl had taken one look at Leia and started crying. Leia had hugged her and cried with her. Thank heavens she hadn't been aware enough to wonder why Leia was mourning the Emperor so much. 

Mara was a sad person, Jayelle thought. So brainwashed that she couldn't think straight. She would make it a point to get to know the girl, Jayelle resolved as she moved towards the window. But first, she thought, she would help her own girl. Leia had to be deeply shaken by the deaths she had caused.

_Tonight I was an accomplice in the murder, no, death of the Emperor, Jayelle thought pensively. And I don't regret it. But what does that make me? I am not a rebel, not anymore and I'm not an Imperial either. I agreed to help Leia tonight, not because I support Lord Vader without reservations but because I care for Leia. So what does that make me? Jayelle put that disturbing question aside for later when she heard the door open._

Lord Vader made his way into the room, without so much as a greeting.

Jayelle watched as he collapsed into a sofa. _He looks tired, she thought with a hint of concern. His posture was tense and his breathing was deeper than usual. He took a moment to compose himself and asked quietly "How is she?" He did not have to explain which __she he meant._

"As well as can be expected" Jayelle said with a sigh, moving to sit at the other end of the sofa. "Sending Mara was an inspired stroke".

Vader smiled beneath his mask "Leia is always at her best when looking after people" he said fondly. Then he asked "And how are you?"

Jayelle exhaled loudly "A bit confused," she said honestly "I'll manage".

"I have no doubt you will" Vader said in a faintly complementary tone.

"What's happening with Selden and Tarkin?" she asked, dismissing the complement casually, because she didn't know how to deal with it.

"They have been arrested for the murder of the Emperor" Vader said in a satisfied tone of voice "and will be tried for high treason".

"Is there any evidence?" she asked dubiously, not sure how she felt about two men being executed for a crime they didn't commit. Has the Empire improved?, she wondered. Or have I helped make it worse? 

"Well," said Vader "They were clearly anticipating his death, as shown by the speed of their reaction. And evidence is easy to find". 

"What next?" Jayelle asked, wondering exactly what she wanted to know.

Vader seemed to understand the question, though, for he answered "In a day or so I'll formally assume control of the Empire. Until then you and Leia can stay here"

"I can understand about keeping Leia here" Jayelle said "but why me?" The thought of another day in that dreary suite was awful. 

"You will be seen as a handle on Leia" Vader responded "and through her, on me".

"I see" Jayelle said, hoping that she wouldn't have to be guarded for the rest of her life.

 "After that" Vader continued, as if she hadn't interrupted "I'd like you to assume a post on my committee of advisors. I'll need help restructuring the Empire".

"Restructuring?" Jayelle asked blankly. Maybe the Empire would change, after all.

"Well" Vader said, in the manner of one stating a fact  "It can hardly continue as it is."

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Leia lay awake, listening to her father and Jayelle's voices. They were faintly comforting. She looked at Mara who had slept after exhausting herself crying_. Now I am a killer too, Leia thought somewhat randomly. And then, Jayelle was right. I'll never be the same. She remembered again the moment those guards had died. She had __known when they crossed between life and death._

She groaned softly. She had the mother of all headaches. And her new Force abilities were flooding her with information she couldn't process.

Her father finished talking to Jayelle and began moving towards her room. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"Stunned" Leia said, "It's like there is a whole new level of awareness which I didn't know before. I know how people feel and I can see flashes of things which I don't recognize".

"You will learn to control that, with time" Vader said, resolving to train her the moment he had time. She was avoiding the real question, he thought with frustration. She hadn't said anything about killing those men, and he could feel it was bothering her. Deciding not to push, Vader looked at the girl beside Leia and asked, "How is Mara?"

"Not too good" Leia responded. She looked at her friend's tear-stained face and felt guilty for causing it.

"She is better off" Vader said, reassuringly.

"She doesn't think so" Leia said sadly. Neither, she thought, would the families of the men she'd killed

"If you wish to flail around in guilt, go right ahead" Vader said with deliberate harshness. It was time to jolt Leia out of her misery, he decided.

Leia looked at her father in shock. He had never disregarded her feelings so, before.

"What's done is done" Vader said, a hint of apology in his voice. "Best to move on".

"She has lost her force abilities" Leia said, looking at Mara.

"They will come back, with training" Vader said. "I would suggest you be careful bout revealing your new abilities, and if she asks, tell her that they seem to be increasing with age". 

"Okay" Leia said.

"I'm restricting you to this suite for a day or so" Vader told his daughter.

"I want to visit Teldyr" Leia said firmly. "I've put it off long enough".

Vader looked at his daughter. She had earned this. And if he stopped her, he knew she would never forgive him.

"You'll go in disguise" he said firmly.

Leia nodded.

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He looked like a wax doll, Leia thought. His black hair was greasy and unwashed and his face had lost it's mobile, intelligent look. His eyes were hidden by his lids and his face was covered by an oxygen mask. There was nothing wrong with his body, according to the medics, but apperently, he might have suffered some brain damage. The Medics were afraid he would be a vegetable. 

She wished he could open his eyes and then smiled. Even if he could see her, he wouldn't recognize her. She had been dressed as a healer and her hair had been died black. Leia looked at her friend's motionless body on the antiseptic bed and wondered why it had seemed so urgent for her to come. She drew closer to the body and, lightly, brushed his hand. She released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, wondering why she had been so afraid. He was not an illusion, was real and solid and could still be touched.

_Oh, Teldyr, she thought, __what would you think of me now? Leia sat on a chair next to the bed and closed her eyes. She was so __tired of seeing people she cared about getting hurt. _

 _Teldyr, she called tentatively, through the new connection which seemed to link her to the galaxy. Nothing happened. Maybe if I stretched out… Leia thought, closing her eyes and letting herself __feel the world around her. She drew in a quick breath. It was wonderful. She could feel everything humming with a secret energy, a power, could feel things resonate, subtly in tune with each other.  It all belongs, she thought, awed, struck by the rightness, the perfectness of the universe. Intoxicated by the sensation, Leia closed her eyes and let herself drift, floating, not feeling quite connected to her body anymore. Images flashed into her mind, vivid pictures of events that had never happened._

Standing against her father at a viewport, watching a beautiful blue and green planet blow up into a thousand shards, struck by a feeling of unspeakable anguish……Trees buzzing past her as she rode a speeder, knowing that there was something important she had to do…….….A woman in a desert, watching a pod-race…..…….A man with kind brown eyes and an assured smile…..……Herself in white robes, standing next to Bail Organa…..…..Her mother walking beside her, on the streets of Imperial Center, surrounded by Imperial Guards, being hailed as Empress……

All these images and more rushed by her, most of them to quickly for her to have more than a quick impression of them. 

And then, finally, a clear image. A boy in a stormtrooper's uniform, with tousled blond hair and a rumpled look saying enthusiastically "I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you". Leia felt a strange flash of recognition when she saw the boy. 

One of the medical monitors began to beep. Leia took a deep breath and focused, reminded of her purpose. Entertaining as this was, it was not the reason she had reached out.

"_Teldyr" she asked, not really expecting an answer. _

"_Pretty Leia" A mental voice said fondly "__What's up?"_

_"Teldyr" Leia said in the manner of one delivering a wonderful surprise, "__Palpatine is dead" Leia felt her friend's surprise._

"_I'm glad" came the weakening mental voice "__Now you'll be safe"._

"_You'll be safe too" she said insistently, trying to ignore the truth she had sensed the moment she touched his mind._

The mental equivalent of a laugh brushed her mind. "_Look after Hapes for me?"  he asked with a tinge of sorrow. Leia reached out for his fading presence "__And my brother?" _

Leia grabbed the waxen hands. "No" she sobbed out loud, "No"

Teldyr's thoughts brushed hers again and she felt his affection for her and his appreciation of her innocence. "_Goodbye, Leia" he said calmly, serene because his enemy had been destroyed._

Then, the figure in front of her moaned and went still. Instantly, a horde of monitors and bells went off. Leia began to weep.   

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Later that day, trying to relax in the small suite, Leia thought back to her visions in Teldyr's hospital rooms. Maybe, she thought wearily, if she hadn't wasted time she might have been able to save him. But how? Leia resolved to learn how to use the Force as soon as possible. 

Some of the visions had been unremarkable, she thought, like the man with brown eyes. Others, like the ones of her mother, had been the embodiment of a dream. But none of them seemed to be as _important as the one of the boy with blond hair. "Luke Skywalker", she said out loud, tasting the name._

"Luke, who?" Jayelle asked, coming out of the bedroom, relieved that Leia seemed to be coming out of her shock.

"Oh, nothing, Jayelle" Leia said, dismissive, "Just daydreaming".

Jayelle smiled, a glint of mischief in her eyes "Aren't you a bit young to be daydreaming about boys" she asked teasingly, hoping to cheer Leia up. The poor girl had been keeping everything inside for too long. 

Leia looked at one of the cushions on the sofa and, drawing on her frustration and resentment at life itself, _pushed. It hit Jayelle squarely in the middle. Jayelle flinched before she could control herself._

An uncomfortable silence descended.

"I'm still the same person, you know" Leia said after a while, her voice small and tight.

Jayelle walked towards her swiftly and hugged her, berating herself for being scared of Leia, even for an instant. "I know, sweetie" she said soothingly. It was hard, she thought, to remember that Leia was really little more than a girl.  

Leia relaxed in the embrace, enjoying the feeling of being cherished for a moment before pulling away. "Can I use the terminal?"

"Sure" Jayelle said, relieved that Leia was alright.

Leia walked over to the terminal and accessed PubReg, the registry of all of the human citizens of the Empire.  

Skywalker, Luke she typed, using her father's security codes to run the search. Now, which planets to search on. Relying on instinct, Leia eliminated all alien majority worlds. That eliminated more than half the planets in the Empire. Good. Now there were only a few thousand left to search. Leia eliminated all of the dead, reducing her seach still further and then she eliminated all females. Then she typed in the only thing she knew about her mystery boy besides his name, his hair and eye color. "Search will finish in five hours", the computer intoned. Leia got a data pad and settled down to wait.

She was still sitting there four and a half hours later when her father strode into the room with his cape wooshing behind him. She had abandoned her data pad an hour ago, but had been unable to move, paralyzed with curiosity. This need to know about this "Luke Skywalker" seemed to be a deep and integral part of her. I've seen him before, Leia thought. A long time ago, maybe, but I have seen him.

Vader walked over to his daughter and rested his hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her reflections. "What are you doing up so late?" he asked, his voice quiet in consideration of the darkened bedroom. Teldyr's death remained between them, unspoken. It was understood that she would talk about it when she was ready, Leia thought, glad that her father knew her so well. It was better not to talk now, she had decided, not when there was every chance that she would burst into tears. 

"I…" Leia began, licking dry lips and wondering where to begin "I had a vision". She stretched, her unused muscles protesting. She bit back a cry of pain as her neck began to hurt.

"How?" Vader asked.

"Well" Leia explained "When I went to see Teldyr, I extended myself through the Force to try to bring him back".

Vader stiffened "That was dangerous" He said, his voice angry. "Don't use your powers again until I have taught you how". 

"Yes, Papa" Leia said obediently, playing the dutiful daughter, her eyes gleaming mischievously. She was never frightened of her father, even when he was angry. "Anyway" she continued "I saw several visions. Many of them were vague, but one stood out".

"Oh?"  Vader asked, questioning.

"It was about a boy called Luke Skywalker" Leia said, pointing to the terminal to show him her search.

 Vader went very still. He grabbed Leia's revolving chair and turned it around, then rested his hands on her shoulders. "Describe him to me, Leia" he said, his voice revealing none of the confusion he felt. He had been the last Skywalker. Unless…

"He was slight, blond and blue eyed" Leia said. "Who is this Luke Skywalker?" she asked, sensing that her father knew more about him.

Vader thought for a moment, wondering what to say. "His father may have been a friend of mine" he answered, not quite lying.

"Go to bed, Leia" he said. "I'll find this Luke Skywalker and bring him to Imperial Center where he belongs".

"I might as well see the information on him" Leia protested.

"It will be a surprise" Vader said lightly. Then he put his hand under Leia's chin and raised her face. "Trust me" He said. "I'll let you know tomorrow. Now go sleep".

"Alright" said Leia getting out of her chair. 

By the morning, Vader thought, watching his daughter make her way to the bedroom, he might have decided what to do about this unexpected complication. Perhaps, he thought with a glimmer of hope, the boy was not related to him.

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Luke Skywalker looked around the Dagobah swamp and tried not to despair. _There is no boredom, he chanted mentally, __there is the Force. Training to be a Jedi was supposed to be fun, but it seemed to consist of endless meditation. Added to that, the damp climate annoyed him. And he missed Aunt Beru. And he hadn't got to do anything exciting yet. And to top it all off, Yoda had refused to train him unless Obi-Wan Kenobi promised not to interfere. So here he was stuck on this accursed planet, away from his home, learning about the Force from a wizened little green man._

He got up and marched purposefully over to the hut. "Master Yoda, I'm bored" he said in a whine.

"Patience, young one" Yoda said in his funny little voice "Self-discipline you must learn".

"I am self disciplined" Luke said with exasperation.

Yoda gave a funny laugh and levitated a pot to hover threateningly over Luke's head. "When do this you can, discipline you will have learned" he said and gestured for Luke to sit down in a corner of the hut. The pot drifted back to it's place on the hearth and Luke sat down with a sigh. When Ben had promised to train him as a Jedi knight, this was _not what he had had in mind. He concentrated on the pot, wondering how his Aunt Beru was doing without him. _

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Beru Lars was woken by a loud rapping on her door. She tensed. She had been expecting and dreading this visit since Ben had come to them two nights ago and taken Luke, with a whispered explanation while the boy was packing.

Owen had refused to hide, saying that all they had was the farm. She had wanted to rage, to hit him, to remind him that they still had each other, but she had known it would be no use. She had loved Luke so. She froze, catching herself and internally berating herself for giving up the son of her heart as dead.

The stormtroopers burst into the bedroom. "Where is Luke Skywalker?" the leader demanded.

"He's not here" She answered, her voice trembling. _Let him be far away, she hoped._

Owen was awake by this time. As the stormtrooper yanked her out of bed he snapped "Let her go". 

"Where is Luke Skywalker?" the stormtrooper asked, repeating the question like a machine.

"He's with Ben Kenobi" Owen spat out, as Beru cried "Owen, no"

Owen and Beru waited, handcuffed, as the stormtrooper spoke into his comm link. Then he nodded to his men. "Bring them along" he said flatly.

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A/N: This chapter was ready for posting two days ago but I was having internet problems.

I know the title for this chapter is lame, could someone suggest a better one?

            I'd like to thank BladeRaider, Teekones, Jaina Skywalker, Renee and Lyta Padfoot for reviewing the last chapter.

            Next chapter---More about Luke and Obi-Wan. Luke meets Mara Jade, but that will probably be later.


	8. Chapter 7- Once Upon A dream

                              Once Upon A Dream

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Darth Vader paced up and down in the small room next to the bedroom which Leia and Jayelle were sleeping in. Mara was there too, he thought, but he didn't care for her as he did for the other two. Indeed, apart from pitying her somewhat, he did not care for Mara Jade much.  

He did not much care for anyone, he realized, although he protected the people Leia loved out of a desire to make sure she did not get hurt. Leia was too sentimental, he mused. If she learned that she had a brother, she would get much too attached to him. The possibility that the boy would stab her in the back would simply never occur to her.

No, he decided. He couldn't let anyone know who Luke Skywalker was. It would destabilize the Empire and put Leia in danger. He had always intended to give his daughter the Empire. There was no room in his plans for a son, at this late date. Still, he decided, he could not let the boy remain in Obi-Wan Kenobi's hands to be used against him. He couldn't have the boy killed either; he was after all, Amidala's son.

He continued pacing, pondering Luke, unaware of the cool blue-green eyes looking at him consideringly. It was only when she walked forward that he noticed her.

"Good morning" he said, hiding his surprise. It was a measure of his concentration, he thought, that she had been able to surprise him.

"You are troubled, My Lord" she said, repeating the question which was not a question that he had asked her just a week ago.

Vader smiled behind his mask, amused. "Nothing important is wrong" he said, hoping he wouldn't have to lie outright to either her or Leia.

"But?" Jayelle asked, not sure why she was bothering to probe. If any man could take care of himself, Vader certainly could.

"I never wanted a child" Vader said introspectivly. "I wonder if I should have allowed someone else to raise Leia"

"You are a good father, better than mine, if that was what you're asking" Jayelle said, knowing there was more to Vader's disquiet than that, but letting the matter go. 

Vader snorted, sounding strange through his respirator. "That's not saying much, if what I've heard is true" he said.

Jayelle smiled "You're a good father, period" she said playfully as she walked over to the tiny kitchen to make herself breakfast.

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  "Well, Papa?" Leia asked imperiously as she walked into the throne room, Mara Jade trailing behind her, like a good bodyguard. She had woken up that morning to find her father gone, and she hadn't been able to contact him. Then, at midday, she had been summoned to the throne room by an aide. 

She felt a rush, seeing her father on the throne. _He controls the galaxy now, Leia realize in awe, the implications of the Emperor's death finally sinking in. And then, unbidden, a thought came from the back of her mind, __one day I will, too. Leia pushed the unwelcome, but slightly intoxicating thought away. Her father would live for a long time. She hoped._

"Well, what?" Vader asked, deliberately teasing her. 

"Well, am I still under house arrest, and what's the story on Skywalker?" Leia said, her voice louder than usual in an attempt to compensate for the room's size.

Vader beckoned his daughter closer and pointed to a small black chair, made of Boria wood sitting to one side of the throne. Leia sat in it. It was well-cushioned and very comfortable. 

"I am assigning Mara Jade to you, as bodyguard," Vader told his daughter "as well as two members of the Imperial Guard. As long as they are with you, you can move as you will within the palace".

"And what about outside the palace?" Leia demanded, not quite pleased at the invasion of her privacy.

"You will have to notify me and the chief of Imperial Security" Vader said in an uncompromising tone. Then, seeing that she was upset he said in a conciliatory tone "Security restrictions will decrease once you learn to use the Force".

Leia forced herself not to protest. "And Skywalker?" she asked.

"Luke is the son of my dead friend Anakin" Vader said, choosing his words carefully "His father turned to the dark side with me, and was killed by Kenobi. I promised him I would look after his son. Then, I was wounded. Before I recovered, Obi-Wan stole him from his mother. She died some years later, of a broken heart".  Vader waited, hoping his words were close enough to the truth that Leia could detect no falsehood.

Leia looked at the floor for a moment, feeling for an instant a sharp pang of sympathy for the nameless woman who had lost both her husband and her child and died longing for them. Her own mother had suffered similarly, although she at least had had her child with her. "Kenobi" she grated angrily. "He has a lot to answer for".

"Indeed he does" Vader agreed. "He has taken the boy away from the guardians he gave him to, and will probably be brain washing him into attacking us". 

"How can we save him?" Leia asked, feeling a strong desire to help this boy…. Luke, she corrected herself mentally. He, too, had had his family destroyed by the insidious Jedi. If they had all been like Kenobi, she thought angrily, they deserved to be exterminated. 

"You seem to have some sort of bond with him" Vader told his daughter, knowing very well that she shared with her brother the bond of Force-strong twins. It had been interrupted by the Force-block, but not shattered, and was now whole again. "If you could try to contact him, find out where he is and tell him we're coming for him, it would be good". It puzzled Vader that he could feel no hint of the boy. He knew of only one thing which could block the Force and he knew Kenobi would hate to be near it.

Leia smiled, glad that her father was going to help Luke and save him from the Jedi's manipulations. "How will I reach him if you can't?" she asked.

"Well" said Vader, thinking about how to give a plausible answer, the truth not being an option, "you are closer to his age. I'll teach you how, soon".

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Leia wandered around the gray landscape, exploring_. My mind is a pretty boring place, she thought wryly. She stood on a cloudy surface and fog was the only thing she could see. She had been lurking in this boring Force-trance for hours. It was tiring, waiting for Luke to go to sleep._

In theory, as her father had explained, if she was thinking of Luke while in a trance, there was a chance that she would be able to enter his dreams. Of course, Leia thought, since they didn't know where the boy was, they didn't know what time he'd be asleep.

Suddenly, without warning, a slight blond boy popped up in the gray which surrounded her like fog.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking beautifully bewildered, like a puzzled kitten. Leia felt an instant affinity for him. _We're both confused, she thought._

"You're in my dream" she said lightly, trying to set him at ease.

Luke looked at the beautiful girl in front of him. She was dressed in white robes and her hair hung loosed, held back by two pins at either side of her head. It was like a waterfall of brown silk, he thought, awed by the girl's presence. The fog that surrounded them swirled up, obscuring her for a second. Luke moved closer to her, panicking. This did _not seem like a healthy place to get lost._

She seemed to know how he felt, for she reached out and took his hand.

An electric current seemed to run through Luke. We belong together, he thought with certainty and then scoffed at himself. Him, the ragged farm boy, belonging with this confident, assured, beautiful girl. "_Who are you?" he asked, awe coloring his voice._

"I'm Leia Vader" the girl said, proudly.

 "You're Vader's daughter?" Luke asked, spitting the name of his father's killer. He dropped her hand as if stung, and wondered how such beauty could come of such evil.

"Don't say his name in that tone" Leia snapped. She had grown accustomed to the fact that people saw her father as evil, but would never be resigned to it. Then, deciding that it was not the boy's fault that he had been misled she said "Luke, your teachers have lied to you".

"What?" he asked, wondering how she knew his name.

"Do you know Ben Kenobi?" the girl asked. Luke shivered at the rage in the girls voice when she named his mentor.

"Yes, I do" He said defiantly.

"He tried to kidnap me" the girl, Leia, told him.

"Maybe he wanted to protect you" Luke said, automatically defending the old man.

"Luke, he kidnapped you" Leia said, her voice full of sorrow. "He stole you from your mother, who died of a broken heart". 

Luke gasped. "No.." he said, more in reaction than anything else. Ben Kenobi, the benevolent wizard had kidnapped him??? He didn't even think of doubting the girl's word. They had the ring of truth to them, and he wouldn't have dreamed of questioning the anguish in her voice.

Leia moved forward to take his hand and he let her. He stood still a while, clearly shocked.

"What about…" he began tentitivly, and then more firmly "What about my father?"

"He was my Father's friend" Leia said, her sympathy clear in her voice. "Kenobi killed him".

"And took me from my mother" Luke finished for her, his voice full of pain for the parents he would never know. Then a thought occurred to him and his head went up "Did my guardians know?", he asked, his voice full of betrayal.

"I don't know" Leia said, feeling sorry for him. She knew she would hate it, if her father ever lied to her.

Luke was quiet a while, absorbing the things Leia had told him. He seemed to have gotten stuck without knowing what he was getting into. Not that he had had much choice in the matter. Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen had just told him to go with Kenobi; he hadn't exactly signed up to come to this gloomy planet.

"If you'll tell me where you are, we'll send someone to rescue you" Leia offered, knowing that it was safe to offer. He wouldn't dream of trusting Kenobi after this, she thought triumphantly.

Luke brightened. There was a way out, afterall. "I'm studying with Master Yoda" he said, afraid to hope. "Won't he stop you?"

"My father has many resources" Leia said confidently. "Don't worry, we'll get you out". After all, she mused, that was the whole point of this meeting.

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A/N: I'd like to thank  Chris, Renee, Mara Skywhiner, Padwan JanQA, Blue Moon, Quamzin and tmar for reviewing the last chapter 

Chris, she's never seen his face, and she's never really wanted to. Unlike Luke, Leia doesn't need to believe that there is anything under the mask. Also, he found her when she was very young, and she hasn't thought that he could exist without it. Maybe, when she learns that he was once Anakin Skywalker, she'll want to.

Next chapter: Luke meets Mara.


	9. Chapter 8- Rescue

                                     The Rescue

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Mara sat in the darkened shuttle watching the blurred stars from the window. It was reminiscent of the off world missions she had participated in before… before HE had died. Her master. 

She had avoided even thinking about it, because thinking about it would make it real. She was the Emperor's Hand. That role had been the cornerstone of her existence since she had gone on her first mission when she was nine years old. She was important, she made a difference in the universe, she executed her master's will.

But how could she be the Emperor's hand when her Emperor was dead? And Lord Vader had denied her the opportunity to avenge him, saying that an executioner would take care of Selden and Tarkin. He hadn't even let her near the traitors, to see them confess. Oh, well. Maybe she could get the security vid's later.

Mara felt adrift, wondering who she was, where she was going. Lord…_Emperor Vader had promised her a place as Leia's bodyguard, and it would be nice, she thought, to be with her friend. But she had been meant for greater things, she was the Emperor's Hand, she should be shaping the world._

And then Lord Vader had sent her on this, this pointless mission to rescue a Force strong farm boy, who was probably her replacement. Lord Vader clearly didn't think she was worth much, Mara thought, frowning. Maybe it was because she couldn't really use the Force anymore.

Oh, he had told her it would come back, but who knew how long it would take. And it was exasperating to watch Leia's Force powers growing while hers were at their worse. She couldn't even feel flashes of the Force anymore, Mara thought looking resentfully at the small furry animal attached to the branch of a tree. _Ysalamiri, it was called but as far as Mara was concerned it was a major nuisance._

Oh, Mara thought, how she wished things were back to being the way they were.

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Luke Skywalker wandered aimlessly, enjoying the cool wind ruffling his hair. The moon was bright, and in the dark, the depressing swamps weren't very visible. And maybe, his rescue would be tonight. Leia had told him that a friend was on the way. Suddenly, a dark figure swept into the clearing and joined him.

"Ben" said Luke, nodding at the Jedi.

"Luke" Ben greeted him, and then was silent. There was something wrong with the boy. He showed no enthusiasm for learning and was often surly and withdrawn. Something, clearly, had happened to make him unhappy. Maybe, Ben thought, it would help to motivate the boy.

"The galaxy is in chaos, now, Luke" he said, his voice deep, his manner sincere. "Lord Vader had ascended the Imperial Throne and promises to be as brutal as Palpatine".

Luke let the old man drone on, thinking wryly that a few days ago he would have lapped up every word Ben was saying. Now though, it was easy to see through Ben. His father's murderer was setting him up to kill his father's friend and even someone with Luke's minimal training in the Force could sense his duplicity. The anger suppression techniques Master Yoda was teaching Luke always got a workout around Obi-Wan. 

"Luke, are you paying attention?" Ben demanded harshly.

"I'm sorry" Luke said, seeming abashed. "I was just thinking of my father"

The hermit put a hand on his shoulder and it was all Luke could do not to bite it. "You will avenge him, Luke" the Jedi said.

"Yes" Luke affirmed passionately "I will". 

"Don't stay out long" Ben said paternally, tousling Luke's hair and walking towards the hut. It was all Luke could do not to shudder. It twisted his insides to not pull away from the man who had killed his father.

"I won't" Luke called out to him, hoping his rescuer would come soon. 

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Frowning down at the mudball below her, Mara Jade ran a surface scan. Nothing. She moved her ship to a lower orbit and turned on the new, top secret, ultra sensitive ship identifier. For a while there was nothing and then… _there. _

Through Leia, the Skywalker kid had said that the landing area was some distance from the Jedi's hut. And he had promised to wait there each night.

Mara looked down and sighed, wondering whether she could just go back and tell Lord Vader she hadn't been able to find him. But if she did, he'd probably demote her further and make her Leia's _maid._

Well, she thought, here goes.

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The dark shuttle hovered over the swamp with a quiet whush, it's dark, sleek mass a strange contrast to the greenery and calm of the Dagoban swamp. The ship's quiet power radiated from it, it seemed almost menacing in it's quiet efficiency. As Luke watched in fascination a rope ladder was thrown out. 

He stared at it as if it were a poisonous snake. He hadn't really thought that this would actually happen, and now that it had it occurred to him that he could be making a big mistake. Maybe this wasn't the right thing to do. Then a small voice inside him said "_Ben murdered your father".  Unless…unless the princess was lying. But no, she couldn't be. She seemed so pure, so innocent. And Luke had noticed that Ben __twitched when he talked of avenging his father._

A hard young voice shouted "Hurry up, kid, can't wait forever". That voice crystallized his decision and he grabbed the rope firmly hoping he wasn't making a big mistake.

In Yoda's hut, Ben Kenobi paused in the middle of a sentence. Luke's force sense had disappeared. Yoda got up, with a speed one would not have expected from someone his shape. They both ran into the clearing and found… nothing.

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            "Hello" a tentative voice called into the cockpit. Mara hated it the instant she heard it. It was so… so trusting, so _young. Mara wrinkled her nose. She was younger than Skywalker, according to her briefing, and she didn't sound like that. At least she hoped she didn't._

            "In here" she called back, allowing some of her annoyance to be heard in her voice.

"Ow". With a bump against the door, Skywalker awkwardly stumbled into the cockpit.

Luke stared at the occupant of the ship in surprise. "You're just a kid" he blurted out, shocked. She didn't look like she was much older than him. Everything about her, though, from her manner, to her professionally clipped red hair and black jumpsuit spoke of age and experience

"I am the Emperor's Hand" the girl snapped, her voice full of confidence and power, her hair seeming to blaze as she whirled her chair to face him and stare at him with hard green eyes. Then she seemed to wilt before him and, as she turned her chair away from him, Luke heard her mutter "at least, I _was"._

Luke stood silent a moment, respecting her obvious grief. "I'm sorry" Luke said, not sure what he was apologizing for, feeling out of his depth.

The girl fiddled with the console, not acknowledging his presence.

"I'm Luke Skywalker, by the way" Luke offered lamely, after an uncomfortable silence.  

The girl snorted and looked at him disdainfully. "I know" she said in a voice dripping with contempt.

Luke blushed, unable to help himself.

"Your room's the one to the left" the girl said dismissivly, not looking at him.

Luke turned and left. He had liked it better on Dagobah, he thought glumly.

Luke glumly stared at the grey wall in front of him, feeling sleepy, yet too keyed up to lie down. The room was bland, with no personality and nothing to do. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten. It was ridiculous to be afraid of that girl, even if she was prickly. He got up and, gathering his courage decided to find her.

Mara looked at the Skywalker kid. He was braver than he looked, she conceded grudgingly, to come out here again. She looked him up and down. He was rather scruffy, with long hair and soiled clothes. And Emperor Vader seemed to intend _this to replace her._

Well, thought Mara smugly, he wouldn't be able to.

The kid seemed to gather his courage. Then he walked into the small lounge and asked, "Is there anything to eat?"

Mara tossed a ration bar at him, deciding not to talk. Let's see what he makes of this, she thought gleefully.

"What's your name?" Luke asked, siting down opposite her.

Mara made no reply.

The boy stared at her as he bit into the ration bar and Mara felt herself grow irritated. He had no right to examine her in that fashion, as if she were some interesting bug.

She decided to return the favor and looked him up and down slowly, before staring into his eyes. Green eyes met blue and a silent battle was waged briefly before Luke looked away, blushing. All too easy, Mara thought with a smirk.

The smirk seemed to irritate the boy and he said angrily "The princess _said you were nice"._

Mara winced. She had forgotten that the kid might complain to Leia. "Look Kid" she began, only to be interrupted.

"You're not much older than me, don't call me kid". Luke glared at her, his patience at an end.

"Ok" said Mara, lounging back in her chair and deciding to be nice to the kid "Farmboy. And the name's Mara Jade".

Luke scowled, but decided not to pick a fight. "So," he asked "How well do you know the princess?"

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Leia felt a flash of recognition as the red head and blond one drew closer. Mara and Luke, she knew. They advanced through the stately corridor slowly, making their way around the people cluttering it, and Leia stifled the impulse to walk towards them. It was with great reluctance that the captain of her bodyguards had allowed her even this far into the public area of the palace. 

As they drew closer their features grew distinct and she felt a shock of recognition. His hair was unevenly bleached by the sun, his face was tanned, he walked with something less than grace and his eyes were a piercing blue. And she loved him on sight. "Luke" she breathed, caught up in an emotion she could not name.

Earnest blue eyes examined her eagerly. The princess was lovely and regal, coldly aloof, and Luke couldn't believe that she was the girl from his dream. She looked more polished, more dressed up. As he got closer, he could see her eyes and felt again the strange pull he had in his dream. Luke broke into a run, slowing down self-consciously as he got near Leia's bodyguards. 

 Leia took the final steps towards him and paused, feeling unaccountably shy.

They stood at arms length, both silent, just looking at each other, sizing each other up. They did not introduce themselves; that would have made a mockery of the occasion. Finally, Leia reached out a hand and said gently "Welcome home, Luke".

He tentatively touched her fingers and she felt a brief shock run through her. It was like finding home, after having forgotten it. Luke seemed to carry with him half remembered safe places, and memories of being cherished and safe. _I feel like I know him, Leia realized. And she felt like she could trust him and count on him. Something deep within her spoke firmly "Mine". She reached out and clasped both of his hands firmly, trying to maintain her composure._

Luke looked at the princess in awe. Now that he was close to her, that impression of aloofness had gone. She was the girl from his dream again, albeit with makeup on. She clasped his hands and he smiled foolishly. There was something about her that made him want to laugh for sheer joy. It was all he could do to not hug her, but he knew she would probably be shocked if he did. Afterall. Luke reasoned, he didn't want her bodyguards to kill him. She was even more wonderful then he'd thought she would be. It was almost like he knew her, he thought as he returned the pressure of her hands.

"We're going to be friends, I can tell" Leia said lightly. "Let me show you your rooms."

Mara stood watching as her only friend walked off with the farmboy after giving her a quick greeting, feeling very lost.

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  Vader sat on his throne, feeling strangely nervous as the doors to the audience chamber flew open and a slim black figure walked in. This was the first time he would see the boy…, _his son, Vader corrected himself, in person. He'd been too busy establishing his rule during the past week; he hadn't even had time to see Leia, except over the comm, and at night when she was already asleep. He watched curiously as the boy approached. Luke was different from the pictures he had so carefully studied, clearly Leia's influence at work _

The hair was neatly cut, forming an umbrella over the forehead and cut close against the sides of the face, highlighting delicate bone structure. The sandy hair had been bleached a perfectly even blond.  The black shirt was Anteran silk, like the cloak . A silver belt around a slender waist held a lightsaber. The overall effect would have been effeminate, had it not been for the firm set of the mouth. 

_He looks like I did, was his first thought on clearly seeing his son._

 This boy evoked no buried memories of his mother or grandmother. Rather, he reminded Vader of a face he had seen often in mirrors, of bright blue eyes forever hidden from the world.

He approached the dais and bowed. "Your Highness" he said in a clear, ringing tone. 

Vader beckoned him closer and said "Welcome, young Skywalker", feeling a twinge of distaste at mouthing a name he'd hoped to never hear again.

The boy walked up, seemingly fearless, though Vader could feel how nervous he was. "It is good to have you on Coruscant" Vader said, examining the boy closely. It was a pity Luke had not inherited his height, along with everything else. At least with the mask, no one would see the resemblance. 

"It's good to be here" the boy said sincerely, his relief at being on Imperial Center ringing in his voice.  

"Your father was my dearest friend" Vader said, lying with practiced ease. "It is my hope that you will be happy here".

Luke blushed and remained silent. Then, visibly gathering up his courage he asked "What was he like?"

Vader was silent a moment, remembering. "He was young, enthusiastic, powerful in a brash, untrained manner". And then "He loved your mother very much".

Vader left his throne and walked over to the boy, who had stood up. He put a hand on his shoulder and examined him closely. Not one beautiful, capable child kept from him but _two. His old friend's betrayal was enormous. And then to try to set his child up to kill him. Vader felt a flash of protectiveness and, unconsciously, his hand tightened on Luke's shoulder. Luke shifted uncomfortably, and Vader let him go. "So, Luke" Vader asked "What do you want to be?"_

"I want to be a pilot" the boy said, his enthusiasm overcoming his awkwardness.

"Your father was a pilot" Vader observed, feeling a faint hint of pride that the boy wanted to be like him. "But Kenobi will be coming for you and you must learn to defend yourself as well".

"Why would he come?" Luke asked.

"His sole ambition" Vader said, prompted by a sudden insight "is to punish me for choosing a path he did not set me on." And he would have, Vader thought, if he had managed to successfully conceal Leia from him. Or if he had arranged for him to kill his own son. Suddenly Vader wondered if that had not been Kenobi's plan; not to have Luke kill him, but to have him kill Luke. He turned his attention back to his waiting son and said "I will instruct you, Leia and Mara on how to handle lightsabers. Jade will also be able to help train you and Leia"

Luke suppressed a groan at the thought of spending more time in the company of the abrasive girl.

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A/N: I'd like to thank  Teekoness, Krystal, BladeRaider, Renee and Quamzim  for reviewing the last chapter.

Teekoness: There're fourteen

BladeRaider: Ik!! Yuck!!! They're only 14. I donm't mind Luke/Mara in general but I don't think I can write them.

Next chapter: Kenobi and Vader. And how long do you think a secret can be kept?


	10. Chapter 9- Shattered innocence

                               A Secret Revealed              

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Jayelle watched Luke Skywalker spar with Mara Jade somewhat tensely. Watching those two with their lightsabers was, for someone who cared about them, frightening. The fragile truce they lived under for Leia's sake often cracked, and the practice room was where their frustrations were expressed. She would rather they yelled at each other, Jayelle thought ruefully.

Jade disarmed Luke for the second time and he went to retrieve his lightsaber, cursing and shaking his numb hand.

"Your turn, Leia" Mara called out gleefully.

Leia moved from the opposite end of the room and took out her lightsaber. It ignited with a _snap-hisss and Jayelle involuntarily closed her eyes. She wished Lord Vader had not allowed the children to practice with real energy weapons. He had waved aside her protests, though, saying that they needed to learn to be careful, and how better to teach them than to let them practice with real weapons._

Jayelle's attention was recalled to the match by an exclamation from Luke. As she watched, Leia brushed a wayward lock of hair out of her sweaty face, and with a cry of annoyance, lunged at Mara. Mara's lightsaber fell from her hand as Leia casually cut off a lock of Mara's hair with her blade. Mara fell into a crouch to avoid getting hit by the lightsaber's arc.

"Leia, no" Luke exclaimed as he rushed towards the contestants. 

"No, what?" Leia asked as she shut off her lightsaber.

"_Don't use your anger while you fight" Luke earnestly implored, with a worried glance at Mara. She seemed more stunned than anything.    _

"It helps me win", Leia said giddily, flushed with triumph.

"It will also make you lose control" Luke said with conviction. "That way lies the Dark Side". He helped Mara up and examined her closely. She _seemed to be fine. _

"The Light side is for cowards" sneered Mara, feeling uncomfortable at the concern the farmboy was showing for her. He was nice to train with, but that didn't give him the right to lecture Leia.

Luke whirled on her, happy to have _someone he could get mad at. "Would you say that if Leia had slit your throat?" he asked icily, touching the short lock of red hair near Mara's neck._

"I wouldn't have" Leia said with conviction.

"No?" Luke asked her, looking into her eyes. Blue eyes held brown for what seemed an eternity. After a minute, Leia lowered her gaze.

"Well, no harm done" Mara said, eager to finish the awkwardness.

Leia nodded. "I'll be more careful next time" she promised her friend.

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Ben Kenobi stared at the metallic planet below him intently. Three weeks after Vader's assuming command of the empire and Imperial Center still hadn't settled down. Which was very good for his mission. He would be able to land without much fuss.

Ben smiled grimly. Getting off the planet wasn't an issue. His plans went only to the death of Darth Vader and no further. Although, it would be a plus if he could rescue Luke. Leia was probably beyond redemption.

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Vader stiffened on his throne. Then, ignoring the officers in front of him he pressed a large button built into his seat. "Initiate maximum security protocols" he ordered.

Dinner that night took place in a different dining room from the one which was normally used. It was a quiet affair, everyone feeling constrained by the presence of the guards.

Jayelle looked at her dinner companions. None of them had been able to change before they were hurried to this underground location by their respective bodyguards. 

Leia had been attending to some diplomatic business when the alarm had sounded and she was still in her white diplomatic robes. Her hair was braided in a deceptively simple style, with small white flowers running through it.

Luke and Mara were dressed identically, in training fatigues. Mara had been teaching Luke how to run a flight sim. They looked cute together, Jayelle thought, arguing about something or the other. They had grown closer after that near accident in the training rooms. Also Vader had kept Leia very busy with diplomatic work, while Luke and Mara were free to practice. Jayelle wondered why Leia wasn't being allowed time with her friends but had held her peace so far.

A quiet sound, and Vader walked in. Leia saw him first and smiled "Hello, Papa".

Vader acknowledged Leia's greeting with a nod as he took his place at the table. He looked around at the people sitting around the table and smiled. Leia's chosen family. And by extension his. And if one of them was his son, well, so much the better.

"How long do we have to stay cooped up here, My Lord?" Mara asked, her manner belligerent. 

She was getting dangerously close to being disrespectful, Vader thought with a frown, and allowed himself to radiate displeasure through Force. "Have you forgotten how to obey orders, Jade?" he asked, in a voice which was almost silky. Then he cut off a part of her airflow by beginning to choke her. "Or do you only respect force?" He released her abruptly and her head fell on the table as she gasped for air.

"No, My Lord" she said, her voice slightly hoarse. Her voice held grudging respect. 

"Good" Vader intoned darkly. Then he continued "Jade, I am promoting you to Galactic agent, as soon as Princess Leia is able to defend herself".

Mara brightened a bit. The Emperor thought her enough of an adult to punish her, and had enough confidence in her to restore her to the position she had enjoyed before Palpatine's death.

Luke watched the scene, shocked. He hadn't understood what was going on, and now that he did, he was horrified. Had his father been like that?, he wondered, thinking for the first time that maybe Obi-Wan had killed him for a reason. But taking him from his mother was still inexcusable, he thought, steeling himself against empathizing with the Jedi.

"May I be excused?" Jayelle asked, her voice slightly scornful. She left the table at Vader's nod and went to the small room she had been given at one side of the underground suite.

Leia just looked at her father, her dark eyes wide. She understood his reasons for giving Mara a not so gentle warning; no ruler could allow insubordination. But then, instead of punishing her friend, he had promoted her. 

"Obi-Wan is on the planet" Vader announced at the end of the rather tense meal.

They were all surprised, but only Leia had the nerve to question her father. "How do you know?" she asked curiously, her voice going hard.

"I feel his presence" Vader said. "He is coming to kill me."

"I won't let him" Leia declared, her father's roughness to her friend forgotten. Her hand had crept to the lightsaber he had constructed for her.

"Neither will I" Mara declared.

Luke looked at the two of them, eyes wide. How they could defend Vader after his behavior earlier was beyond him. Especially Mara. She didn't seem resentful at all.

"You will both stay here where it is safe" Vader said, his voice containing a hint of fondness. "And you, Jade, are assigned to protect my daughter, and also Lord Skywalker".

"Yes, My Master" Mara said, giving Vader a half bow.

"Your Highness, will be sufficient" Vader instructed, feeling slightly nauseous at the thought of making the child worship him the way Palpatine had.

"Obi-Wan may be here to rescue Luke" Vader continued. If that is the case we will use him to draw Kenobi out."

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"Your Highness" Jayelle intoned coolly as she got her breakfast from the table.

"Lady Palmer" Vader responded. "How are the children?" he asked abruptly.

"Leia is normal, Luke is upset and Mara is overjoyed at getting her wings back" Jayelle said as she sat down on the sofa opposite Vader. "And they all stayed up very late last night, playing cards and pillow-fighting".

"The joys of youth" Vader said with a sound that was almost a laugh.

"Indeed" Jayelle said, smiling fondly at some memory of her own. "I hear you plan to use Luke as bait" Jayelle said, her voice carrying a faint hint of disapproval.

"If I do not, Kenobi will try to capture him when we are not prepared" Vader said, forcing himself to show no signs of the struggle he had gone through, before deciding to put his son at risk.

"I see" Jayelle nodded. "How can I help?" she asked, remembering with amusement that the last time Kenobi had tried to kidnap someone, she'd been on _his side._

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When Obi-Wan Kenobi decided it was time to rescue Luke, he waltzed into the Imperial Palace without a problem. Of course, he didn't realize that Imperial Guards were tracking his progress all the way. He wafted through the security network as if he did not exist.

After some thought, he had decided not to confront Vader. The Emperor was always well guarded. His children, however, were not. Especially not the boy, who was publicly nothing more than "Lord Skywalker". Obi-Wan had decided that he would simply go to Luke, and rescue him. Surely the boy had not been totally brainwashed in the month following his kidnapping.

            Amidala's son's Force presence shown like a beacon and Obi-Wan followed it, totally unaware that he was being drawn slowly into a trap.

            The unrestrained laughter of children spilled from the practice room into the hall, and Ben smiled, enchanted. "I got you" a triumphant female voice crowed and the sounds of a scuffle were clear.

            Ben pressed a control and walked in.

            Jayelle sat in a chair facing the door, watching the children at play. The slight tension that had come with being part of a threesome had vanished, and now Luke and Mara got along as well with each other as with Leia. Well, maybe not _as well, but the violent fights had disappeared. Luckily, the position of favored child did not seem to be spoiling Leia, who had shown herself to be a fair mediator when her friends had an argument. She saw the door open and her eyes widened. Moving quickly, she pushed a button on the side of her chair, all the while cursing Vader for using the children as bait._

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            Leia drew away from her friends as she felt a half-remembered presence. "Kenobi" she hissed, her hand going to her lightsaber.

Luke whirled to face the door, his senses on alert. He would not let the Jedi hurt his new family as he had destroyed his old one, the boy resolved firmly, his mouth setting in stubborn lines. 

"What are you doing here, Ben?" Luke asked in harsh tones as Jayelle moved towards them.

Leia stepped forward, her lightsaber held in front of her.

Obi-Wan was slightly taken aback. He had never expected Amidala's children to be so willing to harm him. He looked closely at Leia. She had grown to resemble her mother a great deal. Except for the fact that her mother had never held a lightsaber, and never with such confidence.

Luke followed her and grasped her shoulder. "He's mine" Luke said insistently. "He harmed me far more than he harmed you". Leia thought for a moment than nodded, conceding Luke's claim. It hurt to let someone else kill the Jedi, but Kenobi had killed Luke's father. Leia thought about how she'd feel if Kenobi killed her father and hated him even more.

"I never hurt you, Luke" Ben said, his voice echoing with Jedi serenity, hoping he could get through to the boy. The boy who looked like his father had. Perhaps the brainwashing would wear off, Ben thought. But how to save so reluctant a rescuee. "I just wanted to save you from your father". 

"His father?" Leia asked for her friend, who could not speak.

"Your father" Ben said impatiently, the reality of the situation escaping him. Then comprehension dawned and he smiled. He had perhaps found the right tool to taking Luke back. "Vader is your father, Luke," Ben said calmly "And Leia is your twin sister."

Leia gasped, shocked. "It's not true" she said faintly. Her lightsaber fell from her hand. Mara and Jayelle both gasped in the background.

Luke felt her surprise and it added to his own.

Luke felt dizzy with conflicting emotions. Vader was his father!!! And the princess he had such an affinity for was his sister. His twin. 

His father lived. And he had lied to him, and he did not love him. And he was often cruel. 

Luke had always dreamed of parents who cherished him, and to discover that his father had decided not to acknowledge him hurt. Luke felt a burning anger at Vader, for not wanting him. He felt a faint stirring of guilt as he realized that he was even angry with Leia, for being the child who was preferred by first their mother and then their father.  

Bewildered, Luke made his way towards Kenobi like a zombie. Better to be with someone who wanted him than someone who didn't.

"Luke, no!" Leia said, trying to grab Luke without success.

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Ben Kenobi walked purposefully towards Luke, only to fall back as a shimmering wall of green light came into existence as his hand touched it. He drew back with a cry, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the room As soon as he stopped touching it, it disappeared.

Behind the wall, Jayelle breathed a sigh of relief. So the energy wall worked. 

Behind Obi-Wan, Vader appeared, lightsaber in hand.

"Instead of confusing children" Vader said, his voice coldly cordial "why don't you end this?"

Ben answered by igniting his lightsaber. It was a pity he had not been able to rescue the boy without having to face Vader, but it couldn't be helped. 

They fought, oblivious to their audience. They danced through intricate steps, a dance they had performed in fun during happier times. Fifteen years ago. Before one had envied the other his wife. Before the other had sought forbidden knowledge and been rejected without love. And now they danced, the tred of their feet, the wheeze of the breath mask, the snap-hiss of their blades a deadly kind of music. Green meeting red. They both moved gracefully, so gracefully that it was hard to remember how deadly their intent was. To kill or be killed. Black against brown.

Luke forgot his confusion, watching the duel as if in a trance. At the moment all that mattered was aesthetics. A distant part of his mind observed that he was in shock.

Leia grabbed Jayelle's hand. She was breathing fast; her father _couldn't die. Never. Leia experienced a blinding flash of clarity as she realized that no matter what he did, she'd always love her father, always forgive him. __Always. _

 Jayelle observed Vader move fast, striking Obi-Wan. His manner suggested that he was done playing. He moved fast, faster than the older man could and began wearing him down elegantly, with brutal strength. Each time the red blade hit the green one, the Jedi's grip loosened. Finally, when the whole room was tense with anticipation, Ben stumbled.

He fell and Vader's saber was against his throat. "Go ahead, Vader" he said hoarsely. "Finish it".

"Not in front of my daughter, old man" Vader replied coolly as technicians stepped into the room with a furry animal on a branch. Suddenly all of the Force sensitives felt a veil draw over their perception of the Force. 

"What about your son?" Obi-Wan asked harshly, hoping that his revelation would make Luke reject Vader. At least his death could serve _some_ purpose.

Vader saw no surprise from his children. He sighed. He had hoped to explain their relationship at a time and place of his own choosing, not the infernal Jedi's. One more thing to punish him for, clearly.

"Nor in front of my son, either" he agreed, seemingly unperturbed .

            Leia felt a pang of betrayal. Until now, she had been half convinced that Kenobi was lying. She was sure her father was trustworthier than the Jedi. Perhaps she had been wrong.

The Imperial guardsmen who had been waiting outside the room stepped in and handcuffed Kenobi, who shuffled out, a broken, defeated man.

He left behind a family both reunited and shattered.

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A/N: If someone could suggest a better title for this chapter, I'd be grateful. 

I'd like to thank Quamzin, justaperson, Blue Moon, Teekoness and Renee for reviewing the last chapter.

Justaperson: I generally lurk too and am bad at reviewing. Thanx for letting me know you're reading, it really helps my motivation to get reviews (Hint, hint J) .

Next chapter: Leia and Luke try to cope with their father's lies. Leia does something unexpected


	11. Chapter 10- Now What?

                                                                Now what?                                    

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Vader hesitantly approached his children. He could feel the shock and hurt radiating from Luke, and to a lesser degree, from Leia. For the first time, he felt a stirring of protectiveness toward his son. He looked so young, so vulnerable.

Jayelle took one look at their tense figures and tactfully pulled Mara from the room with a murmured "Let's go clean up, dear". For once, Jade did not protest.

Vader resolved to thank the woman later. She had such exquisite common sense. But now to tend to his children. Physically wounded they may not be, but the pain they felt was too potent to be ignored. He moved towards them and Luke took an involuntary step backward. Leia steeped in front of Luke, protectively. 

"We don't want to talk to you right now, Papa" she said with a hint of steel in her voice. Luke seemed content to hide behind her.

Vader looked at his daughter, surprised. This was the first time Leia had used that tone with him. She was so much like her mother, so fierce when she had someone to protect. "But you need to" Vader said, a hint of pleading in his voice. He didn't want to lose her, or Luke. If he did, the Jedi would have truly won.

Leia thought a moment, than nodded. "Later, please" she said, her voice gentle now, and sorrowful. "Can we have some time to think first?"

"Later" Vader agreed with a nod.

Luke stood frozen, and Leia turned towards him. Looking at Vader she said "Could you please leave, Papa. I need to talk to my brother".

Vader noticed Luke respond to his new title. He looked at his daughter and sensed that she was holding her own anger with him at bay, and that her first priority was to help Luke. He nodded, perhaps it would be best if they had time to cool down. Then, with a swirl of his cape, he left, resolving to assign Luke guards who would make sure he didn't run away. 

When he left the room, Luke fell to the floor like a puppet who's strings have been cut. He felt numb. His father was alive, and he was Vader. Vader, who had exterminated the Jedi, who had lied to him.

Leia sat down next to Luke and tentatively touched his shoulder. "Luke?" she asked.

"Hunh" he said, looking up. He had almost forgotten he was not alone. "Thanks for getting rid of him" he said, distant.

Leia looked at Luke, feeling sorry for him. He looked so lost with his bewildered blue eyes. How to make him feel better, she wondered. 

"We're twins" Leia said, hoping that hearing it out loud would help Luke. She felt the joy of it for the first time, hoping that Luke felt it too. Maybe reminding him that he was not alone would draw him out of the shell he seemed to have retreated into. They had been born together, to be companions and friends for life, Leia thought.

Luke shared her thought and looked up, smiling at his sister, his _twin. He hadn't thought about that, about Leia, who was almost as much a victim of the lies as he. She was family, and she hadn't deceived him. "We should have grown up together" he said, his voice sad, wistful. Growing up on Tattoine with the brown haired girl next to him. Speeder bike racing with her. Meeting her eyes over the table, laughing internally about Uncle Owens's scold._

She smiled, also sad. "Well, at least we know each other now" she said, realizing for the first time that they might never have met. She felt a rush of anger and welcomed it, enjoying the heady sensation which came with unrestrained hate. It burned through her like fire, destructive, pure, cleansing. If she could have felt Ben, she would have strangled him, she realized.  

"Or," Luke said, feeling a tinge of fear at the rage coming from Leia, "We could have not known we were twins", neatly bringing the conversation back to their father.

"He must have had a reason" Leia said, looking at her brother, feeling his sorrow at the loss of the image he he'd had of a father who loved him.

Luke was silent, biting his lip.

"He's a good man, Luke" she said, her hand on his shoulder.

"I think you're biased" Luke said wryly.

"Well" said Leia, defending her father, "He did rescue you".

"I need to decide about him for myself, twin" Luke said, feeling much calmer.

"Okay" said Leia, understanding. In her heart of hearts she was shocked to find that she was glad Luke wouldn't forgive her father just yet. Heavens knew she wouldn't. There didn't seem to be much point to talking, so Leia got up and offered Luke a hand. "Let's hit the showers, Luke" she said.

"Ok"

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When Leia got to the common living area she collapsed on a couch. Now that Luke was fine, she could focus on how she was feeling. "I hate him" she growled, not sure whether she meant Ben or her father. "I hate him".

Leia focused on the hate, drawing strength from it like she had earlier. This time though, she did not have a traumatized brother to worry about. Now she could think without prejudicing Luke against her father. Her father, who had lied to her. That was one thing she had been sure about, that he would never lie to _her. He lied to other people, killed other people occasionally, but she had never thought she would be a victim of his schemes. Why had he lied? she wondered. But even his reason was secondary to the fact that __he had lied. _

It had been her one constant in the world, that she could trust her father. Maybe she couldn't. And if she couldn't, what safety was there for her, then?  He had lied, and kept her brother from her, and Kenobi had torn apart her family. 

_But he had had her mother's consent. _The thought was a new one, and Leia was surprised that she had never realized it before. Her mother had been on Alderan of her own free will, for she could easily have tipped off the Empire to her location. It was unreasonable to believe that her father was telling the truth when he said that her mother had been forced to leave him. Not the mother of Leia's memories, so strong and self-assured, even though she was in exile. Not the mother who had once told Leia that they were on Alderan because it was necessary. Her mother had thought it was _necessary_ to separate her children.

 Leia got up purposefully. It was time she learned the reason why.

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He couldn't touch the Force, feel it's comforting presence and he had not been without it since he was nine. Ben Kenobi sat wretchedly in his cell, the ghosts of his failures haunting him. Everything he had set out to do, hoped for, ruined. The woman he loved, gone to another man; the apprentice he had sworn to train, turned to the Dark; the children he had sworn to protect, soon to be darksiders. _I've failed, he thought, despairingly, __I failed her. And no Jedi saying could ease his guilt. _

He started at the noise of the cell door opening. It was a measure of his dejection that he had not noticed the sounds outside his door. He looked up, not sure whether what he was seeing was real in the dim light. She was too close to the embodiment of a dream to be there. His love, come to absolve him of guilt.

As his eyes adjusted to the light and focused, he realized what he was seeing. Young Leia was indeed the image of her mother, and she wore the white robes her mother had loved. She wore the same resolute expression her mother had, when addressing the senate. _Oh Amidala… he thought wearily, and with a grief which had not dulled over eight years._

And she had not come alone. The sharp featured red-head stepped into the room behind Leia and hissed "_Should you be doing this?"  _

"Papa won't punish me" Leia replied, supremely confident. "And I want to talk to him. You can go, if you like".

The girl nodded sharply and took up a bodyguard's position near the door, far enough away to be unobtrusive, close enough to interfere.

"Leia" Kenobi said, forcing himself to sound impassive. What was the girl up to, he wondered.

Leia sat down cross-legged on the floor, comfortably looking at the seemingly beaten Jedi in front of her. "In the interest of fair-mindedness, I came to hear your side of the story" she said, not at all disconcerted at having to open the conversation. 

"I didn't think your father taught you to be fair-minded" Ben said, hearing the venom in his tone and reminding himself to suppress it. This was an opportunity to make a difference.

"My father taught me many things" Leia said, ignoring his viciousness. "One of them was how to find the truth from lies".

"What do you want to know?" Ben asked, wondering why the girl was visiting him. She looked troubled and her brow was creased in a frown. Maybe she was having second thoughts about her father, he thought, happily.  

"Tell me about my family, and what happened to us?" Leia asked, her voice torn between entreaty and command. 

"Your father turned to the darkside" Ben said, sorrow clear in his voice "And when your mother, Amidala, discovered she was pregnant, she asked my help in hiding you".

"Why did she want to hide us?" Leia asked. So far the story was not so different from her father's. He said that her mother had been pressurized into it by Kenobi and that…, abruptly Leia asked "Was it because she thought he would hurt us?"

"No" Kenobi said firmly. "She never thought he would hurt you on purpose. Neither did I, then. Even _he _could not do that".

"So why?" Leia asked, her heart breaking for the mother who had been so afraid that she had given up one of her children and run from her husband. The mother she still adored, who's memory she still cherished, who's voice she recalled every night, hoping she would not forget it.

"Because she feared the Emperor" Ben said "And because she knew that, raised by your father, you would fall to the darkside".

Leia sat still, thinking about the Jedi's words. "What is the difference between the Lightside and the Dark?" she asked curiously, after a while. She had never gotten a satisfactory answer to this question. It was an important difference, she knew, or her mother would not have separated her children.

Ben looked at her, not quite sure she was sincere. If she was, though… "I can't quite explain that" he said evasively.  

"So tell me who can?" Leia asked impatiently, just as Ben had hoped she would.

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Leia silently glided out of her room, her backpack heavy on her shoulders.  She made her way through the darkened family suite and pushed the button which opened the door into the secret passageway her father had shown her, unaware of the eyes tracking her movements. This was the escape route, he had explained, to use in case she was trapped in the suite. It lead to a hanger with the most sophisticated and comfortable stealth ships available. Always best to be prepared. Leia smiled sadly, her father would never believe the use she was putting the bolthole to now. She took a deep breath and made her way through, totally unaware of her follower.

Leia walked through the dusty corridor, oblivious to her surroundings. She wished she could have taken Luke, but he was clearly being guarded. Her father hadn't thought to have her placed under surveillance; he clearly didn't expect _her to run away._

The ships were still there, beautiful and deadly. She and Luke had practiced flying them earlier. She felt a pang at the thought of her brother and checked to make sure he was still asleep. He was. She had pleaded illness and stayed in her rooms. One look at her and her father would _know. He had kept away too, perhaps because of her request. Leia hoped her letter would make him understand._

She got into the dusty ship and began running pre-flight checks_. I may be a runaway, but at least I'm not stupid, she thought wryly, absorbed in preparing the ship for takeoff._

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A/N: Where do you think she's going?

                    I'd like to thank Renee, ihadanepiphany, BladeRaider, Teekoness and Quamzin for reviewing the last chapter. I'd also like to thank Quamzin for helping me come up with a title for the last chapter.     for reviewing the last chapter

Next chapter: Leia's flight is discovered, Mara gets in trouble, Luke tries to find himself, Vader ponders his relationship with his twins.


	12. Chapter 11- Confused Children

                                                   Confused children 

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Leia was running pre flight checks with a certain desperation, blocking out her surroundings. It was almost as if she did not want to consider her actions, Mara thought. Her friend was in pain, and needed her. Mara stepped out of the shadows, unable to silently observe anymore. "Don't do it Leia" she said earnestly. Leia's pain had kept her close all day, and her friend's actions after meeting Kenobi spoke of a Leia who was up to something.

Leia jumped and turned around with a gasp. "My god, you nearly gave me a heart attack" she gasped. Her heart began pounding. She had hoped to get away without being seen. Would Mara alert the Guard or wouldn't she. It was always hard to be sure of Mara's loyalties, and while Leia knew that the red head would never harm her, that didn't mean she would approve of her leaving.

"You're too young for one" Mara said, resorting to humor to get through to Leia. "Why are you running?"

"I'm not!" Leia said, visibly offended at the thought that she would run from things. She wasn't running, she thought, she was _seeking. There was a big difference. _

"It sure looks like it" Mara observed, trying to provoke some reaction from her friend. 

"I'm just going away for a while" Leia said softly, trying to explain. Mara was not someone she wanted to antagonize. And if she didn't explain, Mara would stop her.

"Why?" Mara asked.

"Do you have to ask, after today" Leia said, exasperated. Why couldn't her friend understand. She had to go, to get away for a while. And if she found out what this light side everyone kept making a fuss was about, so much the better. 

"You are sooo spoiled" Mara said with some irritation "I'd kill for a father like yours". It was a relief, to let that thought out. She had been jealous of Leia so often she couldn't count, when her master was sending her on difficult missions. Mara liked to think that her parents would have protected her too, if they had lived.

Leia felt a pang of conscience. She was indeed luckier than Mara. "You can have him" she said, trying to ignore the justice of Mara's remarks.

"He was only trying to protect you", Mara said. Her friend was so naïve, she thought with irritation. Mara had known why Vader hadn't told Luke as soon as she'd learned he was Leia's brother.

"From???" Leia asked, stamping her foot on the ground. She knew it was childish but couldn't seem to help herself. And the relief was so good.

"From Luke turning power hungry and trying to kill you" Mara spat out, flushed.

Leia sat down slowly. Had that been her father's motive. Perhaps. "He wouldn't" she said with conviction.

"Lord Vader doesn't know Luke like we do" Mara said. "And he's always been protective of you".

"Yes, he has been" Leia conceded. It didn't change the fact that he had lied to her, but it made it less of a betrayal, Leia thought, feeling the burden which seemed to be near her chest lessen. "Thank you, Mara". She hugged her friend gratefully.

Mara relaxed in Leia's embrace. "You're welcome". They stood there for a moment, each of them relieving memories of the other. "So, let's go back to bed" Mara said, pulling away, hoping Leia would agree easily..

"I'm still going" Leia said stubbornly, hoping Mara would let her. 

"Why?" Mara asked, puzzled. If her friend wasn't angry with her father anymore, why leave?  

Leia read the thought and smiled at her friend. "I'm not really doing this because of my father, Mara," she said, feeling the truth of the words as they left her mouth "I'm doing it for my mother".

"Your mother" Mara said, blankly. Leia almost never talked about her mother, after that first time, when they had met.

"She didn't want me to turn to the darkside" Leia said, in the manner of one repeating something barely understood. "I owe it to her to find out what she wanted for me". Her mother had done everything to protect her from her father, and Leia had begun to think she might need to be. Now she would find out what her mother had wanted of her. She felt she owed it to her mother, to at least know what she had wanted her to be. 

"I'll come with you" Mar said, realizing Leia would not be turned from her course. And if she summoned the Palace guard, Leia would never forgive her.

"No" Leia said, firmly. "I want you to stay and protect Luke".

Mara looked into her friend's eyes and read the determination written there. "Take care" she said and pressed Leia's hands. "Come home soon"

Leia turned her chair away, not wanting to see her friend leave.

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Leia did not show up for breakfast in the morning. Mara sat nervously, watching Jayelle and Luke eat breakfast at the small table in a corner of the family suite. Sunlight flooded the room. It had been Leia's favorite, Mara thought, somewhat sadly. She picked at her food, waiting for the explosion. It came quietly.

"Go wake the Princess" Jayelle instructed one of the droids.

The Droid was back some minutes later, waving it's arms and looking as worried as a droid could get "The princess is not in her rooms".

Jayelle frowned, and Luke went very still. Mara could feel him reaching out, trying to contact his twin.

Jayelle reached for a comm link and quickly got in touch with palace security. The news: Princess Leia had not left the family suite. At that point Luke began to worry too.

"I can't feel her" he said anxiously.

Mara left the table and rushed to Leia's room, not sure how long she could keep up the pretense of surprise in the presence of a Force-user.

The room was empty, as she had known it would be. The bed was neatly made and the dressing table meticulously organized. The room was full of Leia. Every personal touch, from the plants by the window, to the solid four-poster bed with it's red velvet hangings, to the portrait of Leia's mother, spoke of careful selection.

Mara sat down at the dressing table, deliberately controlling the giddiness she felt. She hadn't thought about it last night, so focused she'd been on her friend, but Lord Vader would be able to tell about her not keeping Leia from leaving. Mara shivered. She did not look forward to explaining to the Emperor why she had let his beloved daughter leave the planet. She rested her elbows on the table and thought, trying to come up with a good defense. Maybe, if she had a good enough excuse, he wouldn't execute her. Mara shivered, the reality of her danger suddenly hitting her.

By the time Mara got back to the dining room, the entire royal suite was crawling with Imperial agents and guards. The Emperor arrived a few minutes after Mara, sweeping into the room with a flourish of his black cape.

Mara looked at him a moment and then, deciding that it would be better to confess than be discovered, cleared her throat "Uh..Sire? Could I have a minute?".

Vader whirled to face her, looking more intimidating than Mara could remember seeing him. "Jade?" he said, his voice dripping with anger.

Mara walked up to him, scared. Making a Sith lord angry was not good for anyone's health. She glanced imploringly at Jayelle, hoping she would be able to help calm Vader down.

Jayelle went to stand with Mara, knowing that Leia's best friend knew something she was afraid of revealing.

"Princess Leia left of her own free will" Mara said in a low voice, trying to keep the guards from hearing.

Vader's gloves clenched. So, Jade knew something. Well, the first thing to do was to dismiss the guard. In a moment he spoke in a controlled voice "The princess is in a safe location" and dismissed the guards.

After the room was cleared of all but Mara, Luke and Jayelle Vader said "Well Jade?". His voice held more than a hint of menace.

"Princess Leia left last night, through the emergency passage" Mara blurted out, scared. She had been in dangerous situations before, but she never remembered her heart beating so fast, her knees feeling so weak. 

Vader grabbed Mara, needing the physical contact, expressing his frustration through the tightness of his grasp. His hands bit into her shoulders. 

In a moment they would break, Mara thought letting out a small cry.  

Vader noticed Luke rush forward in concern for his friend out of the corner of his eyes and released Jade, who crumpled to the floor at his feet. He had alienated the boy too much, as it was. "Explain yourself Jade" Vader hissed, his voice making up for the tension he was not expressing violently. "Explain and make it good".

 "Well Sire," Mara said softly, sitting straight and allowing Luke to help her up "I was not aware that Princess Leia was under house arrest". She kept her voice low, so that it would be easier not to cry. Her shoulders were killing her.

"Where has she gone?" Vader demanded

 "I don't know" Mara said, hoping that the half-truth would pacify Vader. She didn't _know where Leia had gone, true, but she could guess._

"How do you justify your actions?" Vader demanded, conscious of the anxiety both of his son and Jayelle felt for this girl. She was not so valuable, in and of herself, but she was valuable to people whose opinions he valued. Leia, too, would be upset if he killed her friend. 

 "She forbade me to go with her, Sire" Mara said, hoping her defense would be strong enough to keep her from punishment "I am bound to obey the Princess, unless you expressly countermand her orders".

The girl had planned this defense, Vader thought with an internal snort. "I expect my agents to use their brains" He said scathingly. Then he turned to his son. "Luke" he asked "Can you sense her?"

"All I can tell is that she is fine" Luke replied quickly, clearly not to eager to talk to him. 

Vader nodded slowly, accepting his son's rejection. He would have to deal with it later, but for now…He turned to Jayelle, making a quick decision. "That Outer Rim delegation Leia was slated to meet, inform the delegates that Princess Leia was detained. And tell them Prince Luke will be taking her place".

            "He _isn't trained, Sire!" Jayelle said, in the exasperated manner of one talking to a somewhat slow child. Vader's highhanded way of disposing of people's time was vastly irritating._

            "So, go with him" Vader said impatiently. "Train him to do it".

            "Come on, Luke" Jayelle said, grabbing his hand and giving Vader a dirty look. Luke went gladly.

After they had gone, Vader sat down. There were a dozen things he had to do, people he had to order to locate Leia, but first, he wanted to try to locate his runaway child himself. _Leia… he called mentally, trying to reach her, __Leia._

_"Papa" the mental voice said. Vader felt a flash of triumph. Even her twin hadn't been able to reach her, and yet he had. Surely she wasn't lost to him, like her mother had been. Vocalization was hard, so Vader merely let her feel the worry he had felt, his pain that she would leave, and so abruptly, without warning._

He felt a flash of contrite apology from his daughter, and then a hint of anger towards him. It was his fault, she seemed to say.

There was nothing to say to that so Vader just projected his love for her, and his concern.

There was a panicked reaction to the idea that he send people looking for her. "_I just need to be away for a little while. I'll be back" the weak voice spoke._

Vader reluctantly faced the fact that if he did not let her go, Leia would never be his again. He might be able to compel her physical presence, but never her love or loyalty. He let her feel his resignation and got the mental equivalent of a kiss.

Well, he thought as he terminated the contact, Luke for Leia was not a fair trade but there was nothing to be done about it. He was blessed to have one child, much less two. All he could to was try to win over Luke, and hope Leia would return, he thought somewhat sadly. And with a firm resolve to try to gain Luke's trust, he turned back to his work.

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The open curtains allowed the lights of the city to shine over the darkened room. Luke lay back in his plush bed with a sigh. It was so comfortable that it was difficult to sleep in. He had been accustomed to hard beds all of his life, and the unexpected luxury of his surroundingd was hard to get used to. The soft bed, the accommodating sofa, the luxurious clothing, the servents, the good food, all of these were things he'd never had. And the relief from the drudgery of farm work was also fun. It was every boy's dream, to wake up to find himself a prince. Respected, admired, envied, obeyed.

But none of that made up for the problems he was having, he thought a bit wryly, allowing himself, in the sanctuary of his room to truly _feel. Instead of physical labor, there was mental.  Diplomacy was hard to learn, and even harder to learn while practicing it. A week of meetings with the Outer rim delegation from Talur was enough to provide him with a possible solution to their problem, but it had been hard. He had gained a new respect for Leia during those dreary meetings. His father had left him alone, and that was good, but he would be present for the next meeting with the Talurans._

Luke had dreamed of having a family, but so far it had proved to be treacherous. His father, who had not told him who he was. His sister, who had promised to be with him forever, and then run off the next day.

That wasn't fair, he knew. Leia hadn't promised to never leave him, and he couldn't expect her to stay with him always, but still, it rankled that she had left the day after discovering he was her brother. Almost like she didn't want him. Although… she had told Mara to look after him, and probably would have taken him along, but for the guards.  

Now, if only he could figure out how he felt about Vader…

There was a knock on the door and Jayelle entered. She walked to the bed and sat down next to him. "You must be confused," she said, her voice carrying sympathy "I was wondering… would you like to talk?"

Luke sat silently. Jayelle had offered to help him work through his problems before, but he had turned her down. He thought about it a moment, then asked abruptly "Did _he send you?" There was no need to specify which __he Luke meant._

"Paranoid, aren't you?" Jayelle asked. These children were more suspicious than children ought to be. She had been a suspicious child too. Jayelle smiled sadly. Maybe there was something about Imperial Center which stole youth.

Luke stared at her silently, his intent blue eyes demanding an answer. 

"No, he _didn't send me" Jayelle said. "I just thought you might want to talk". The boy had to be confused. And for Leia's sake, Jayelle resolved, she would give this boy a friendly ear._

Luke turned to the quiet woman. Maybe this was an opportunity he could exploit. "I'd rather talk about you".

Jayelle laughed, a merry sound. "Aren't you a bit young to be using that line?" she asked, ruffling his hair. "Ask away".

"Well" Luke asked "How did you end up here?"

"A profound question, sometimes I don't know myself" Jayelle said lightly. Then observing his irritation she said "Your father blackmailed me into it".

"Hunh?" Luke said inarticulately. He had always seen Jayelle as a willing member Vader's staff.

"Long story" Jayelle said "I tried to help Ben kidnap Leia, and later repented, Vader needed a teacher who was pro-Imperial on the surface, but wouldn't indoctrinate Leia, he told me I wouldn't be punished if I'd do it".

"You did what?" Luke asked, focusing on the first part of the explanation. So Ben had tried to get Leia too. Would the Jedi have brought her to him, or hidden her away? Did it even matter "Why?"

"I thought Leia would be better away from Lord Vader" Jayelle said, hoping that Luke would understand the unspoken part of her conversation "But then I saw how much she loved him and realized that he was, despite everything, a _very good father"._

"This isn't about Leia, is it?" Luke asked heatedly. Why was everyone on _his side?_

"Well" Jayelle said honestly "It's about your father, and his history with Leia, and his credentials as a father". Luke needed an explanation to move past his anger, and Jayelle _knew that Lord Vader wouldn't unbend enough to justify himself to his son._

"He's not a very good one" Luke said angrily.

"Stop being a brat" Jayelle said sharply. She had been a passive spectator of this drama long enough. Maybe if she had interfered earlier, Leia wouldn't have run away. 

Jayelle sent out a silent prayer that the daughter of her heart was safe and happy, and then turned Vader's son. One problem at a time. "He rescued you as soon as he knew about you".

"But he didn't tell me. And he's forcing me to stay here" Luke said, with a slight whine.

"Because he was trying to protect you and Leia" Jayelle said, exasperated by Luke's naiveté.

"What?" Luke asked feeling lost. How could lying to him protect him or Leia.

"Well, you could have turned out to be power hungry" Jayelle said, spelling it out. "You still might, and I'm sure your father has a very real fear that one of you will kill the other, someday". It was a fear she had, too. 

If she had had a choice, she wouldn't have told them either. Twins, not raised together, who were both heirs to the same throne. It was a recipe for trouble.

"We would never" Luke said, confident. What an awful thought. He would never harm Leia. Ever. But if Vader had feared he might, it might halfway justify him…

"Power can be very seductive" Jayelle spoke, her experience of this reality carried in her words.

"I will never harm Leia" Luke swore "Never".

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A/N: Sorry for the long delay. Exams. And now I've got writer's block. Help!!!!

I'd like to thank Quamzin, Blue Moon. Teekones,Cal and Renee for reviewing the last chapter.

Teekones: If you tell me where ben is OOC, I'll see what I can do. Of course, I donn't like Ben Kenobi, so that could be what is causing the problem.

Next chapter: Leia confronts the Dark Side


	13. Chapter 12- The Son and the Father

Quick summery, for those of you who've forgotten: Leia and her father killed the Emperor, and they found Luke after Leia saw him in a Force-Trance. Vader didn't tell either of the twins about Luke's identity, and after they found out, Leia ran off to Yoda in a snit, mad because her father lied to her. She had a disturbing experience in the tree, where she saw Luke kill her father, after which she killed him and an innocent by-stander.

Leia sat in the mud, curled in on herself, her head on her knees, uncaring of the gloomy swamp and the state of her clothes. Her brown hair was loose, and unbrushed. A mudstain decorated her cheek and her ivory skin seemed even paler in comparison.

She straightened almost unconsciously, years of training kicking in, then smiled a bit as she realized what she had done. Those lessons on how to carry herself had paid off, it seemed. Now if only her training had covered a situation like the one she faced.

Her father and brother were on a collision course and there was only one way to stop them. "_Go home you must, or kill each other they will."_ Master Yoda had said. He had said other things too, things which would be much more difficult than just going home.

_To give up the Force_…….. Leia thought with a shiver. She had only had her birthright for such a short time. And she had felt whole only while she had it. To be able to sense all the life around her, to be able to use the hauntingly beautiful power…….. It was magic as it moved through her. And she wasn't sure she could give it up. Not even for Luke.

Leia's eyes darkened as she considered an unpleasant thought. She couldn't give up the Force, not while Luke retained its use. She loved her brother, but how could she be sure that he would never discover the Dark Side, would never turn on her. No, Leia concluded, she couldn't give up the Force, not while it was so necessary for her own defense.

But if she didn't, she might lose her father _and_ her brother. And she might lose her humanity. In fact Master Yoda had guaranteed that she would."_Tainted you are,_" his words echoed in her memory "_and if use the Force you do, dark you will become_".

Without her restraining influence, Leia knew that her father would once again become the cruelest Sith the galaxy had ever seen. And Luke would have no reason to hold on to the light. And she couldn't be a restraining influence if she, too, was a Dark Jedi.

Leia got up and stalked towards Yoda's hut. She stood outside, knowing he sensed her. "Enter, daughter of Vader" the voice croaked.

"Why can't you teach me to be a Jedi" Leia demanded "instead of telling me to give up the Force?".

The green man looked at her, an unidentifiable expression on his face. "A Jedi you could have been" he said, his voice sounding sad "A great Jedi. But distinguish you cannot anymore, between right and wrong".

Leia flinched as if struck. That wasn't true. Was it?

"If you send me back like this, I know that someday, I _will _use the Force" Leia said, allowing her voice to carry her conviction "It is a part of me. I won't be able to help it."

Yoda was silent a while. Then, reaching a decision, he motioned her to sit down.

Leia sat, feeling relieved.

"You must act only when you are calm, at peace…" Yoda began

After that, Leia's days were filled with endless rounds of exercise and meditation and she cauth herself wonder if maybe it wouldn't have been better to remain untrained. The quiet of Dagobah sometimes made her restless. Yoda wasn't much for conversation and she had no one to talk to. At those times longing for her father, for Jayelle, Luke and Mara would hit her like an almost physical ache. She would see them in her minds eye, and sometimes she could feel Luke's presence. He was still unhappy, but no longer desperate. Leia felt Master Yoda come up behind her.

Yoda cleared his throat, but Leia did not turn to face him. "I felt you coming, Master" she said, smiling smugly. Yoda had been testing her by sneaking up on her using Force-shields. This was the first time she had sensed him trying to startle her.

"Learned all you are capable of, you have" the wizened Jedi Master said impassively. "Time it is for you to go home".

* * *

"He can't do this" Luke said heatedly, clearly in the middle of an argument with Mara.

"_Can't_ , farmboy?" Mara replied. "He's the Emperor. He can do whatever he wants".

"Can't do what?" Jayelle asked, hoping to interrupt the fight before it began.

"He's going to have Ben tortured to death" Luke said, his voice carrying horror.

Jayelle smiled at his innocence. It was sweet, but he needed to learn what Vader was capable of. "He is a Sith, Luke. They are not known for their ability to forgive."

"My Master used to do much worse" Mara said casually. "And Kenobi _is_ a traitor".

"That doesn't make it okay to torture him for the fun of it" Luke snapped.

"It might not be right, but it is predictable behavior, for your father" Jayelle said.

"Leia could stop him" Luke said wistfully.

"You might be able to, too" Jayelle said. It was time Luke learned to deal with his father, and it would save her the trouble of trying to intervene.

Luke blanched, the idea of confronting his father a new one.

"I thought…" he began vulnerably "I thought you could do it".

"I'll talk to him later, but he _is_ your father" Jayelle said. "I think there is little he would deny you".

* * *

Vader watched his son walk nervously into his office.

"You wanted to see me, Luke?" he asked, looking up from his desk to his son. He knew that it would be a while before the boy was at ease with him, but it still irritated him, that his son was afraid of him. Another thing to lay at Kenobi's door, he thought angrily. At least that would be dealt with, tomorrow. He was looking forward to watching him die slowly. It might help make up for the destruction of his family.

"Yes Father" Luke said, his voice more confident now. "I have a request to make".

"Yes?" Vader asked, glad his son trusted him enough to ask for favors.

"Could you not have Ben tortured?" Luke asked, tentatively.

Vader jerked upright in his chair. To be deprived of his vengeance. Unthinkable. "Why not?" he asked tightly, controlling his anger carefully. He did not want to frighten Luke

"Because it would cause me pain" Luke said, hesitantly.

Vader was silent a moment. "He took your mother from me" he said, "And he hid you and Leia, and planned to use you to destroy me. How can I not punish him?"

"Kill him" Luke said, "I certainly won't mind. But his schemes came to nothing. Isn't that punishment enough?"

Vader was silent a moment, thinking. If he refused his son, he would lose his respect. And he knew that Jayelle and Leia would also disapprove of his intentions for Kenobi. "He will be executed at dawn" Vader conceded.

* * *

Jayelle paused in her walk and bent to inhale the sweet, tangy fragrance of the creamy white flowers that clustered near the mouth of the artificial stream. She enjoyed this part of her routine, and nightly appreciated the clever landscaper who had designed the garden. Anyone who did not know better would have taken the sky for a real one, she thought somewhat sadly. It was ironic, but she had seen the sky more when she lived on Vader's Star Destroyer. At least then, she and Leia had landed on some planet whenever they were in orbit. This garden was lovely, but all of it's exotic, brightly colored flowers couldn't make up for the outdoors that was denied to her because of security concerns. Vader had had this garden built the day she had mentioned that she missed her walks.

Muted footsteps sounded behind her, and she heard the breathmask. Jayelle turned around and curtseyed "Your Imperial Majesty" she cooed, allowing some of her frustration with the noblewoman who were chasing the new emperor to show. _He_ was safely insulated all day while she was grilled for information about him by all the barracudas.

"Jayelle" he said, and she heard the amusement in his tone.

She smiled triumphantly. It was difficult to amuse him, even slightly.

The Emperor of the known galaxy extended his arm towards her. "I am glad to see" his tone still smiling "That you remain unaffected by your companions".

Jayelle looked at his arm dubiously for a moment, then lightly put her hand on it. "If I have to spend one more day with those vapid noblewomen, I will kill myself" she declared as she began to walk down the path with Vader. Their height distance made her arm uncomfortable and she let her hand drop, only to have it caught by Vader's gloved one. She twined her hand with his and they continued walking without breaking stride.

"That would be a bad thing" her companion said, his voice amused.

Jayelle enjoyed his company in silence for a while. She rarely saw him in private anymore, and it was nice to spend time with another adult. The children were lovely, but they were still very young. "I was wondering whether Luke attended the execution this morning" Jayelle said, bringing up the subject with some trepidation. Very few people were allowed to discuss Vader's family with him. "He's been in a bad mood all day". His gloved hand looked very large against her pale one.

"He wasn't there" Vader said. "I would not have let him watch, in any case".

"Good" Jayelle said. "He was wishing Leia could talk to you" Jayelle explained "And I suggested that he do it." After a pause she continued "And if he hadn't, I would have done it myself".

"You are too compassionate" Vader said, his voice making the word sound bad.

"Kenobi deserved to die" Jayelle said. She did not hesitate when saying it, and wondered at herself. The man had only been trying to do the right thing. But in doing so, he had planned to harm Leia, and that was something Jayelle would not forgive.

"There was a time" Vader said, "When you would not have thought so".

"He planned to use an innocent child for his own ends" Jayelle said firmly. "And that is unforgivable".

"Where are your bodyguard, Your Majesty?" she asked a while later, noticing for the first time the absence of the extremely silent imperial guard.

"I dismissed them" Vader rumbled, accepting the change in topic.

"They must have been upset" Jayelle remarked lightly. The Imperial Guard's devotion to the Emperor was legendary, and they seemed determined to erase the blot on their reputation caused by Palpatine's death.

"Very" he agreed.

"Your father applied for the governorship of Saptre today" Vader told her, his voice casual.

Shock flowed through her. Saptre was a minor planet, but her father was in no way qualified for the post. "He did?" she asked.

"I thought you might not know" Vader said,

She felt outraged. Her father had to be extremely stupid, to think that she would plead for him. "You're not going to give it to him, are you?" she asked.

"I would if you wanted me to" he said, sounding perfectly serious. "_Do_ you want me to?"

If she asked him to, Jayelle thought, he _would_ do it. "As far as I'm concerned" Jayelle said, "his career can go down the waste disposal chute".

Vader chuckled. "Shall I arrange that?" he asked.

"No," she said "Thank you". Her mood had deteriorated at the mention of her father and she was silent a while. She would never, she thought firmly, use her influence with Vader for personal benefit. It would cheapen their friendship immeasurably.

"He hurt you a great deal" Vader said, breaking the silence.

"Yes" was all she allowed herself to say, conscious that she was on the verge of tears. Her father's presumption was beyond all bounds. First he discarded her as if she had never mattered, then he expected her to use her influence to get him a post he would never deserve. _That's no reason to nearly cry_, she scolded herself. Vader turned her to face him and let go of her hand. She felt a pang of loss. I never knew that having your hand held could be so comforting, she thought.

"I will never let anyone hurt you again" Vader promised firmly, with an undertone of menace, as he pulled her into his arms.

* * *

Leia sat in the small ship, fiddling with the controls. She had never thought that she would grow so attached to the testy Jedi Master that she'd be sorry to leave. But his work with her was done, he'd said. He had taught her all she was capable of learning. Leia hoped it would be enough, on those occasions when she _had_ to use the Force.

And she would have to use it, she knew. It was almost necessary for survival, on Imperial Center. But, hopefully, the training Yoda had given her would be enough to keep her from turning entirely. After her last lesson Yoda had told her that she had learned all she could, that he couldn't make her a Jedi. There had been some disappointment in the Jedi Master's tone, as if he had hoped that she would be capable of being a Jedi, despite his own words.

Leia knew better than the wizened Jedi Master. She had known all along that she would never be a true Jedi Knight. It was not in her nature anymore, and she wouldn't try, not even for the memory of her dead mother.

She had, Leia thought honestly, neither the aptitude nor the desire to use the Light Side. All she wanted was enough control over it that she never did anything she would regret in haste, and that much control she had acquired.

She was hovering over Imperial Center now, and Leia relaxed. _Almost home_. Her hand went to the ship's communicator, than paused. She would give them a little surprise. Instead of switching to voice, she tapped a code given to all special agents into her comm system. Now, she thought with satisfaction, she could land anonymously. Leia drew a Force-Shield around herself as her ship silently descended into the atmosphere.

Leia crept through the Palace's secret corridors, heading for the Imperial Suite. The passageways were as dusty as they had been when she had left, no more, no less. She followed a winding route she had been made to memorize, grateful, finally, for the fanaticism her father had shown about security procedures. She reached a door, and glided in, making no sound.

She maintained her Force-shield for a moment, just looking at him. Her father looked the same as he had when she left. Dark and imposing to all but her. He had fallen in her eyes, she realised, had become more human and less an all knowing godlike being. But he was still her father, still the man who had held her after her nightmares, and protected her from harm.

"Father" she said, stepping out of the shadows, a slim, graceful figure.

* * *

Vader froze. "Leia" he said, pronouncing the name slowly, buying time. She had changed. He looked at her, and saw for the first time, not an untrained child, but a young, graceful adult.

She walked with more confidence than she had had, and her use of the Force was more skilled. She also looked deadly, standing there in the passageway, a tense figure, poised to strike.

"Have you come to finish what Kenobi started?" Vader asked, his voice low. It seemed the Jedi had got their hands on her, and in her vulnerable state, who knew what they had brainwashed her into believing.

"No" Leia said, radiating sincerity as she unhooked her lightsaber and threw it down. It skidded across the floor to land at Vader's feet. "I would never.." she said, her voice low, outraged. "How could you even ask me that?"

"Well" said Vader, drawing out the word "You have come from Yoda".

And it seemed like a betrayal, that his daughter had gone to Kenobi's teacher for training, instead of to him. But he slipped out of his chair and moved so he stood a few feet away from her. She had come back, and she was whole, he realized. There was a peace to her he had not seen since she was very young, an air which reminded him of her mother's.

"And he taught me many things" Leia said, advancing into the room. "I needed to get away, Father" she continued, her tone pleading for understanding. "But that doesn't mean that I don't need home". And then she moved forward and hugged him.

He held her tightly. "Welcome home" he said simply.

* * *

Leia entered the practice room with trepidation, wondering how her brother would receive her. Luke and Mara were practicing as she entered. They were both graceful and deadly, and for a moment Leia remembered the scene in the cave. _That will never happen_, she told herself firmly, _never._ Luke held himself with more poise than she remembered, but seemed otherwise unchanged. Mara, too, did not seem different. Leia stepped out of the shadows and dropped her Force-shield. "Surprise" she said cheerfully, and watched Luke and Mara start with amusement.

Luke stood aloof, not really looking at Leia, and she could feel his hurt like her own. She had been selfish, she realized, not considering how her departure would affect Luke. "I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye" Leia said with quiet sincerity, feeling for the first time the hurt she had caused her brother

"It doesn't matter" Luke said, sounding surly.

"But it does" Leia said, meaning the words. She walked towards her brother and lowered her Force shields, allowing him to _feel_ how necessary it had been for her to leave. "I was hurting too much to think of you, twin" she said, trying to make him understand. "I won't do it again". The words had the strength of a promise. Leia grasped Luke's hand. "I'm sorry" she repeated, trying to transform the remote stranger into her brother again.

She was slim, and more elegant than he remembered, and she moved with a new, dangerous grace. She seemed older than she had been, but also less on edge. Seeing her brought back all the happiness he'd felt at having a sister, and also the betrayal he'd felt when she'd waltzed off without a word. And now she was back, and she acted like she'd only been away for a day.

Despite himself, Luke's eyes softened as he swung Leia into a hug. Even after everything, Luke thought, she still seemed to be the one person who made him feel at home. He had thought he had exaggerated the bond they shared, and found, that if anything, he hadn't remembered it's strength accurately. He relaxed in the presence of the bond he'd missed all his life, without knowing it. "Where have you been?" Luke said, stepping away, allowing himself to enjoy her presence, the familiar brown hair and eyes.

"It's a secret", Leia said coyly. Looking at Luke, she could not remember why she had ever thought him a threat. He was her _brother,_ and with Luke, that meant that she could rely on him completely. "I missed you" Leia said earnestly, squeezing his hands.

"Me too" Luke said, with a smile.

As Mara came over to greet Leia, the door to the practice room whooshed open to reveal Jayelle.

Leia walked towards her slowly, and it seemed that there were only two people in the room.

"Jayelle" she said and was pulled into a firm hug.

"Welcome back" Jayelle said happily.

Leia looked around the room at her family. Any impending disasters were in the future, and she planned to stay and help try to fix them. "I'm home for good" she said, feeling the truth of the words. She belonged where her family was, and she would never leave them again.

A/N : I'm sorry for the time it took to get this one out. Writer's block hit with a vengeance, and I've always had trouble with endings. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed this fic. Thanks for encouraging me, I'm not sure I could have done it without you guys.


	14. Chapter 14

I've made some minor changes to the previous chapter.

Quick summery, for those of you who've forgotten: Leia and her father killed the Emperor, and they found Luke after Leia saw him in a Force-Trance. Vader didn't tell either of the twins about Luke's identity, and after they found out, Leia ran off to Yoda in a snit, mad because her father lied to her. She had a disturbing experience in the tree, where she saw Luke kill her father, after which she killed him and an innocent by-stander.

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Leia sat in the mud, curled in on herself, her head on her knees, uncaring of the gloomy swamp and the state of her clothes. Her brown hair was loose, and unbrushed. She had picked up a mudstain on her cheekbone, and her ivory skin seemed even paler in comparison.

She straightened almost unconsciously, years of training kicking in, then smiled a bit as she realized what she had done. Those lessons on how to carry herself had paid off, it seemed. Now if only her training had covered a situation like the one she faced.

Her father and brother were on a collision course and there was only one way to stop them. "_Go home you must, or kill each other they will." Master Yoda had said. He had said other things too, things which would be much more difficult than just going home. _

_To give up the Force…….. Leia thought with a shiver. She had only had her birthright for such a short time. And she had felt whole only while she had it. To be able to sense all the life around her, to be able to use the hauntingly beautiful power…….. It was magic as it moved through her. And she wasn't sure she could give it up. Not even for Luke._

Leia's eyes darkened as she considered an unpleasant thought. She couldn't give up the Force, not while Luke retained it's use. She loved her brother, but how could she be sure that he would never discover the Dark Side, would never turn on her. No, Leia concluded, she couldn't give up the Force, not while it was so necessary for her own defense.

But if she didn't, she might lose her father _and her brother. And she might lose her humanity. In fact Master Yoda had guaranteed that she would.__ "__Tainted you are," his words echoed in her memory "__and if use the Force you do, dark you will become"._

Without her restraining influence, Leia knew that her father would once again become the cruelest Sith the galaxy had ever seen. And Luke would have no reason to hold on to the light. And she couldn't be a restraining influence if she, too, was a Dark Jedi.

Leia got up and stalked towards Yoda's hut. She stood outside, knowing he sensed her. "Enter, daughter of Vader" the voice croaked.

"Why can't you teach me to be a Lightsider" Leia demanded "instead of telling me to give up the Force?".

The green man looked at her, an unidentifiable expression on his face. "A Jedi you could have been" he said, his voice sounding sad "A great Jedi. But distinguish you cannot anymore, between right and wrong".

Leia flinched as if struck. That wasn't true. Was it? She had lied to Mara about the Emperor's death, and would continue lying to her. She had not tried to rescue Kenobi, and took pleasure in the thought of his impending death. She had only just forgiven her father and had allowed her anger with him to simmer for days. She could accept injustice, so long as it served the greater good. Maybe, by Yoda's standards, her moral compass _was flawed. "But if you send me back like this, I know that someday, I __will use the Force" Leia said, her voice carrying frustration "It is a part of me. I won't be able to help it."_

Yoda was silent a while. Then, reaching a decision, he motioned her to sit down. 

Leia sat, feeling relieved.

"You must act only when you are calm, at peace…" Yoda began

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            Calm and at peace _weren't easy, Leia discovered in the days that followed. Yoda put her through a series of mental exercises designed to help release anger. It was drilled into her that she must never, never use the energy given her by anger. And she went through physical exercises which put the ones her father had devised to shame. _

            Now, Leia thought with satisfaction as she ran through the murky swamp, heart pounding, lungs bursting, she was better than Luke. Much as she was troubled by it, being better than Luke was still part of her agenda. It was not that she feared him, not really. It was just, he had such potential to hurt her.

            The quiet of Dagobah was good for her in other ways, too, she thought as she ran, disturbing the animals. It had been so long since she had had an uncluttered schedule and nothing to do but think about life, and the role she wanted to play in it. Dagobah seemed distant from all of the problems of her daily life. No meetings to attend, no policies to discuss, no assassination attempts to avoid. Now, thanks to Yoda's training, she would never need a bodyguard again. She slowed down as she neared Yoda's hut and collapsed, wheezing on a large boulder near the door, feeling sweaty and at peace.

            Despite the calm she had achieved on Dagobah, the quiet sometimes made her restless. Not now, when her blood was singing and her muscles ached, but at night, when there was nothing to do but meditate. Yoda wasn't much for conversation and she had no one to talk to.  At those times longing for her father, for Jayelle, Luke and Mara would hit her like an almost physical ache. She would see them in her minds eye, and sometimes she could feel Luke's presence. He was still unhappy, but no longer desperate. Leia felt Master Yoda come up behind her.

            Yoda cleared his throat, but Leia did not turn to face him. "I felt you coming, Master" she said, smiling smugly. Yoda had been testing her by sneaking up on her using Force-shields. This was the first time she had sensed him trying to startle her. 

            "Learned all you are capable of, you have" the wizened Jedi Master said impassively. "Time it is for you to go home".

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"He can't do this" Luke said heatedly, clearly in the middle of an argument with Mara.

"_Can't , farmboy?"  Mara replied. "He's the Emperor. He can do whatever he wants". Mara said this with the ease of one explaining the natural order of the universe. _

"Can't do what?" Jayelle asked, hoping to interrupt the fight before it began. Those two were fond of each other, but fought like mortal enemies. Part of it, she knew, came from Mara's jealousy over Luke's higher status.

"He's going to have Ben tortured to death" Luke said, his voice conflicted. He didn't much care for Kenobi, but the idea of torturing him to death was one he could not stomach. Maybe Jayelle could help.

"He's going to do _what?" Jayelle asked, shocked._

Luke relaxed, happy he had _someone on his side._

"My Master used to do much worse" Mara said casually. "And Kenobi _is a traitor"._

"That doesn't make it okay to torture him for the fun of it" Luke snapped.

"No, it doesn't" Jayelle agreed, resolving to have a talk with Mara later. And with Vader. She hadn't seen Vader be pointlessly brutal before, and it bothered her.

"Leia could stop him" Luke said wistfully.

"You might too" Jayelle said. "Why don't you talk to him?"

Luke blanched, the idea of confronting his father a new one.

"I thought…" he began vulnerably "I thought you could do it".

"I'll talk to him later, but he _is your father" Jayelle said.  "I think there is little he would deny you"._

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Luke walked nervously into his father's office.

"You wanted to see me, Luke?" Vader asked, looking up from his desk to his nervous son. He knew that it would be a while before the boy was at ease with him, but it still irritated him, that his son was afraid of him. Another thing to lay at Kenobi's door, he thought angrily. At least that would be dealt with, tomorrow. He was looking forward to watching him die slowly. It might help make up for the destruction of his family.

"Yes Father" Luke said, his voice more confident now. "I have a request to make".

"Yes?" Vader asked, glad his son trusted him enough to ask for favors.

"Could you not have Ben tortured?" Luke asked, tentatively.

Vader jerked upright in his chair. "Why not?" he asked tightly, his voice controlled. He hadn't been expecting _this._

"Because I couldn't with you, if you did" Luke said. "It would cause me pain".

Vader was silent a moment. Than he got up and started to pace, a measure of his agitation. "He took your mother from me" he said, his voice angry. "And he hid you and Leia, and planned to use you to destroy me. How can I not punish him?"

"Kill him" Luke said, "I certainly won't mind. But his schemes came to nothing. Isn't that punishment enough?" 

Vader was silent a moment, thinking. If he refused his son, he would lose him. And maybe Leia and Jayelle too. "He will be executed at dawn" Vader said, his voice coldly firm.

"Thank you, Father" Luke said, relaxing.

Jayelle walked in the enclosed garden, enjoying the smell of the flowers and the starlit sky. Anyone who did not know better would have taken the sky for a real one, she thought somewhat sadly. It was ironic, but she had seen the sky more when she lived on Vader's Star Destroyer. At least then, she and Leia had landed on some planet whenever they were in orbit. Now, though, security concerns kept her from appearing in open without bodyguards. Vader had had this garden built, and Luke and Mara came here occasionally, but for the moment she was alone. Luke had made himself scarce that day, clearly more troubled by Kenobi's execution that he liked.

Jayelle herself didn't know how she felt about it. On one hand, Kenobi was a Jedi, and on the other, he had tried to set an innocent boy against his own father. 

Muted footsteps sounded behind her, and she heard the breathmask. Jayelle turned around and curtseyed "Your Imperial Majesty" she cooed in a voice which mocked the tone Coruscant's noblewomen used around the Emperor.

"Jayelle" he said, his voice tinged with amusement. She was a perfect parody of the typical noblewoman; even her face had assumed that empty, slightly stupid expression. _She should have been an actress, Vader thought fondly. "I am glad to see" he said, extending his arm in the proper fashion "That you remain unaffected by your companions"._

Jayelle looked at his arm dubiously for a moment, then lightly put her hand on it. "If I have to spend one more day with those vapid noblewomen, I will kill myself" she declared as she began to walk down the path with Vader. Their height distance made her arm uncomfortable and she let her hand drop, only to have it caught by Vader's gloved one. She twined her hand with his and they continued walking without breaking stride.

"That would be a bad thing" her companion said, his voice amused. "Court functions _are uncomfortable but that is not why you are upset", he remarked with his usual perceptiveness._

"I was wondering weather Luke attended the execution this morning" Jayelle said, bringing up the subject with some trepidation. Very few people were allowed to discuss Vader's family with him. "He's been in a bad mood all day". His gloved hand looked very large against her pale one.

"He wasn't there" Vader said. "I would not have let him watch, in any case".

"Good" Jayelle said.

"Did you put him up to asking me not to have Ben tortured?" Vader asked, curious. He had expected to hear from Jayelle about it, but hadn't.

"He was wishing Leia could talk to you" Jayelle explained "And I suggested that he do it." After a pause she continued "And if he hadn't, I _would have done it myself"._

"You are too compassionate" Vader said, his voice making the word sound bad.

"Kenobi deserved to die" Jayelle said. She did not hesitate when saying it, and wondered at herself. The man had only been trying to do the right thing. But in doing so, he had planned to harm Leia, and Luke, and that was something Jayelle would not forgive.

"There was a time" Vader said, "When you would not have thought so". 

"He planned to use an innocent child for his own ends" Jayelle said firmly. "And that is unforgivable". "Where are your bodyguard, Your Majesty?" she asked a while later.

"I dismissed them" Vader rumbled, accepting the change in topic.

"They must have been upset" Jayelle remarked lightly. The Imperial Guards devotion to the Emperor was legendary, and they seemed determined to erase the blot on their reputation caused by Palpatine's death.

"Very" he agreed. "Your father applied for the governorship of Saptre today" he said, casually.

Jayelle stiffened. "I didn't know that" she said, her voice low. Saptre was a minor planet, but her father was in no way qualified for the post.

"I thought so" Vader said, his tone satisfied. He could feel her agitation through the Force, and it made him uneasy. For a moment, he wished he hadn't mentioned it.

"Are…are you going to give it to him?" Jayelle asked hesitantly.

"Do you want me to?" he asked, his voice serious.

If she asked him to, Jayelle thought, he _would do it. "As far as I'm concerned" Jayelle said, her voice more normal "His career can go down the waste disposal chute"._

Vader chuckled. "Shall I arrange that?" he asked.

"No," she said  "Thank you". Her mood had deteriorated at the mention of her father and she was silent a while. She would never, she thought firmly, use her influence with Vader for personal benefit. It would cheapen their friendship immeasurably.

"He hurt you a great deal" Vader said, breaking the silence. 

"Yes" was all she allowed herself to say, conscious that she was on the verge of tears. Her Father's presumption was beyond all bounds. First he discarded her as if she had never mattered, then he expected her to use her influence to get him a post he would never deserve. _That's no reason to nearly cry, she scolded herself. Vader turned her to face him and let go of her hand. She felt a pang of loss. I never knew that having your hand held could be so comforting, she thought._

"I will never let anyone hurt you again" Vader promised firmly, with an undertone of menace, as he pulled her into his arms.

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Leia sat in the small ship, fiddling with the controls. She had never thought that she would grow so attached to the testy Jedi Master that she'd be sorry to leave. But his work with her was done, he'd said. He had taught her all she was capable of learning. Leia hoped it would be enough, on those occasions when she _had to use the Force._

And she would have to use it, she knew. It was almost necessary for survival, on Imperial Center. But, hopefully, the training Yoda had given her would be enough to keep her from turning entirely. After her last lesson Yoda had told her that she had learned all she could, that he couldn't make her a Jedi. There had been some disappointment in the Jedi Master's tone, as if he had hoped that she would be capable of being a Jedi, despite his own words. 

Leia knew better than the wizened Jedi Master, had known all along that she would never be a true Jedi Knight. It was not in her nature anymore, and she wouldn't try, not even for the memory of her dead mother.

She had, Leia thought honestly, neither the aptitude nor the desire to use the Light Side. All she wanted was enough control over it that she never did anything she would regret in haste, and that much control she had acquired.

She was hovering over Imperial Center now, and Leia was surprised at the feeling of homecoming she had. Her hand went to the ship's communicator, than paused. She would give them a little surprise. Instead of switching to voice, she tapped a code given to all special agents into her comm system. Now, she thought with satisfaction, she could land anonymously. Leia drew a Force-Shield around herself as her ship silently descended into the atmosphere.

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Leia crept through the Palace's secret corridors, heading for the Imperial Suite. The passageways were as dusty as they had been when she had left, no more, no less. She followed a winding route she had been made to memorize, grateful, finally, for the fanaticism her father had shown about security procedures. She reached a door, and glided in, making no sound.

She maintained her Force-shield for a moment, just looking at him. Her father looked the same as he had when she left. Dark and imposing to all but her. He had fallen in her eyes, she realised, had become more human and less an all knowing godlike being. But he was still her father, still the man who had held her after her nightmares, and protected her from harm.

"Father" she said, stepping out of the shadows, a slim, graceful figure.

Vader froze, than looked at his daughter. "Leia" he said, pronouncing the name slowly, buying time. She had changed. He looked at her, and saw for the first time, not an untrained child, but a young, graceful adult.  

She walked with more confidence than she had had, and her use of the Force was more skilled. She also looked deadly, standing there in the passageway, a tense figure, poised to strike. 

"Have you come to finish what Kenobi started?" Vader asked, his voice low. It seemed the Jedi had got their hands on her, and in her vulnerable state, who knew what they had brainwashed her into believing.

"No" Leia said, and reading the seriousness of his question through the Force, she unhooked her lightsaber and threw it down. It skidded across the floor to land at Vader's feet. "I would never.." she said, her voice low, outraged. "How could you even ask me that?"

"Well" said Vader, drawing out the word "You have come from Yoda".

And it seemed like a betrayal, that his daughter had gone to Kenobi's teacher for training,instead of to him. But he slipped out of his chair and moved so he stood a few feet away from her. She had come back, and she was whole, he realized. There was a peace to her he had not seen since she was very young, an air which reminded him of her mother's.

"And he taught me many things" Leia said, advancing into the room. "I needed to get away, Father" she continued, her tone pleading for understanding. "But that doesn't mean that I don't need home". And then she moved forward, swallowing her trepidition, and hugged him. 

"Welcome back" he said, his voice saying all the things he would not express in words.

Leia entered the practice room with trepidation, wondering how her brother would receive her.  Luke and Mara were practicing as she entered. They were both graceful and deadly, and for a moment Leia remembered the scene in the cave. _That will never happen, she told herself firmly, __never. Luke held himself with more poise than she remembered, but seemed otherwise unchanged. Mara, too, did not seem different. Leia stepped out of the shadows and dropped her Force-shield. "Surprise" she said cheerfully, and watched Luke and Mara start with amusement._

"Leia" Luke said, whirling to face his sister, wondering how she had snuck up on him like that. She was slim, and more elegant than he remembered, and she moved with a new, dangerous grace. She seemed older than she had been, but also less on edge. Seeing her brought back all the happiness he'd felt at having a sister, and also the betrayal he'd felt when she'd waltzed off without a word. And now she was back, and she acted like she'd only been away for a day.

Luke stood aloof, not really looking at Leia, and she could feel his hurt like her own. She had been selfish, she realized, not considering how her departure would affect Luke. "I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye" Leia said with quiet sincerity, feeling for the first time the hurt she had caused her brother

"It doesn't matter" Luke said, refusing to sound happy.

"But it does" Leia said, meaning the words. She walked towards her brother and lowered her Force shields, allowing him to _feel_ how necessary it had been for her to leave. "I was hurting too much to think of you, twin" she said, trying to make him  understand. "I won't do it again". The words had the strength of a promise and Luke shivered, struck by their quiet force. Leia grasped Luke's hand. "I'm sorry" she repeated, trying to transform the remote stranger into her brother again. 

Despite himself, Luke's eyes softened as he swung Leia into a hug.  Even after everything, Luke thought, she still seemed to be the one person who made him feel at home. He had thought he had exaggerated the bond they shared, and found, that if anything, he hadn't remembered it's strength accurately. He relaxed in the presence of the bond he'd missed all his life, without knowing it. "Where have you been?" Luke said, stepping away, allowing himself to enjoy her presence, the familiar brown hair and eyes.

"It's a secret", Leia said coyly. Looking at Luke, she could not remember why she had ever thought him a threat. He was her _brother, and with Luke, that meant that she could rely on him completely. "I missed you" Leia said earnestly, squeezing his hands._

"Me too" Luke said, with a smile. 

As Mara came over to greet Leia, the door to the practice room whooshed open to reveal Jayelle.

Leia walked towards her slowly, and it seemed that there were only two people in the room. 

"Jayelle" she said and was pulled into a firm hug.

"Welcome back" Jayelle said happily.

 Leia looked around the room at her family. Any impending disasters were in the future, and she planned to stay and help try to fix them. "I'm home for good" she said, feeling the truth of the words. She belonged where her family was, and she would never leave them again.

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A/N : I'm sorry for the time it took to get this one out. Writer's block hit with a vengeance, and I've always had trouble with endings. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed this fic. Thanks for encouraging me, I'm not sure I could have done it without you guys.


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